The Manila Times | March 10, 2019

FLEETWOOD SHARES LEAD AT HALFWAY STAGE OF ARNOLD PALMER EVENT

MAHATHIR TO MURAD: PROGRESS REALIZABLE IN ABSENCE OF WAR

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The Sunday Times Otso Diretso bets ‘cowards’ – Sara

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MARCH 10, 2019

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The horrors and nightmares of 1994 haunt farmers SUNDAY STORIES MARLEN V. RONQUILLO

BY CATHERINE S. VALENTE

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HE Philippine Senate ratified the Uruguay Round — General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (UR-GATT) in the dying days of 1994 — that meant the accession of the Philippines into the World Trade Organization (WTO), the new overseer of global trade. Given that the previous efforts at globalizing the international trading environment was focused on industry, the pro-farming, pro-agriculture sector protested the accession. The fear was this. The WTO accession would be a

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UGPONG ng Pagbabago (HnP) chairman and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio has called candidates of opposition slate Otso Diretso “cowards” for refusing to face her in a debate.

In her Instagram post, Carpio responded to the opposition candidates’ statement denying her dare, pointing out that she is not a Senate candidate.

“This is the hallmark of your group, dark, depressing, sad, very recently, dishonest. And now, cowards,” she said.

On Friday, the mayor challenged the

candidates of Otso Diretso to face her in a debate after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rejected the opposition ticket’s request for an official debate between candidates of HnP and Otso Diretso.

Otso Diretso bets earlier filed a petition asking the Comelec to craft rules

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Winning culture NON SCHOLAE SED VITAE

JESUS JAY MIRANDA, OP

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IR Alex Ferguson handled the Manchester United for more than two decades until he retired in 2013. He is the winningest professional football coach of all time, with a lot of success with ace players like David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs.

Ferguson does not attribute the achievements of the famous football club to luck and some hard work. Rather, he attributes it to the determination to win every game in any single day. With that mindset, he was able to cultivate in his team a winning

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SPLASHING GOOD TIME

Children frolic and keep cool at the Pasig River as the temperature continues to rise. The weather bureau has yet to officially declare the start of summer, but temperatures have started to climb.

PHOTO BY DJ DIOSINA

GRAFT PURGE TO CONTINUE – DUTERTE President rejects ‘legal’ medical marijuana Support Pinoy post-grad students, JV urges govt REACH US AT:

E-mail: newsdesk@ manilatimes.net Tel. Nos.: 524-5664 to 67 Address: 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to continue his anti-corruption purge in government, promising that there would be “no sacred cows” in his campaign.

In his speech during a campaign rally in Negros Occidental on Friday night, the President said corrupt government offi-

THE government should support Filipinos taking up post-graduate studies and other special education enhancement programs here and abroad to upgrade their bachelor’s degrees.

“The government, or even philanthropic organizations, should support Filipinos taking up post-graduate studies like master’s and doctoral degrees. The country stands to benefit once they finish and apply in their professions what they have learned,” Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said in a statement on Saturday.

He added that the government should set aside resources, financial or other forms of as-

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PARCHED

cials would be held accountable regardless of their relationship with him.

“Corruption, wala akong pasensya (I have no patience with corruption) and will continue to purge government,” Duterte said.

“Walang sagrado dito sa akin. Ni anak

ko, ni kaibigan ko, wala. Pasensya ka, period (There will be no sacred cows even if they are my children or my friends. If you’re involved [in corruption], you’ll be sorry),” he added.

Duterte made the statement after he

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A farmer looks at his farm in San Ildefonso town in Bulacan, one of the provinces affected by the El Niño weather phenomenon. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has changed his stand on medical marijuana, saying he will now not allow the legalization of marijuana even for medicinal purposes.

In his speech during a campaign sortie in Negros Occidental, Duterte said he would not sign any bill that will legalize the use of medical marijuana because some would use it as an excuse to abuse it. “[What is] medicinal…[about it]?

They’ll give you the excuse to harvest [it and then say it’s for... medicinal [use].

[Everybody will go] ‘medicinal’ about it. That would be an excuse. Hindi ako pumayag (I refused). Not in my time, not in my time,” the President said.

“Maybe some other time. Some other President. I am ignorant of that kind of research, I must admit. I do not read it, and I do not intend to legalize it. Ayaw ko (I don’t want to legalize it). Gawin mo lang excuse ‘yan eh (You will only use it as an excuse). Tatanim ka ng iyo, sabihin mo medicinal man kaya ito (You

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News

˜ The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY March 10, 2019

Pagcor seeks regulation Progress realizable in absence of war of gaming operators S M A H AT H I R TO M U R A D :

BY MAYVELIN U. CARABALLO

TATE-OWNED Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) is calling for the commitment of other government agencies to ensure that Philippine-based offshore gaming operators (POGOs) follow regulations. “[W]e opine that the developing offshore gaming industry should be regulated but not without the aid of appropriate government agencies,” it said in a statement issued on Friday.

Being the government agency that regulates gaming in the country, Pagcor said it requires applicants for offshore gaming licenses to submit their company registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in view of the latter’s requirement for tax identification number.

This is in line with Revenue Memorandum Circular 78-2018, issued last September, which states

all foreign gaming operators and POGOs, including those with offshore licenses, should register with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) as a prerequisite.

“POGO licensees are required to uphold responsible gaming in the conduct of their operations and production of games,” Pagcor said.

The state-run firm said its latest statement was meant to shed light on Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez 3rd’s recent claim that the government was losing at least P3 billion a month in tax revenue from foreigners working for offshore gaming operators who are not paying income taxes.

According to Pagcor, foreign workers are regulated by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

“Pagcor upholds lawful employment,” it said. “Employing undocumented foreign workers by licensed operations and their accredited service providers is a violation warranting imposition of demerits, fines and other administrative penalties, without prejudice to suspension of operations and/or cancellation of license or accreditation.”

Nevertheless, Pagcor said it is committed to uphold the integrity of gaming by taking part in a recently created inter-agency task force that will consolidate and reconcile a list of foreigners working for service providers of POGOS. It added that technical working group discussions and interagency communications are being observed among government agencies such as the BIR, DoLE,

BI and other law enforcement agencies such as the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation.

“Pagcor actively takes part in this inter-agency coordination by providing requested information necessary for the fulfillment of mandate of the concerned government agency,” Pagcor said.

“By partaking in inter-agency efforts in regulating offshore gaming operations, Pagcor has always supported the government’s policy of equitable and progressive taxation, lawful employment and promotion of public welfare,” it added.

Pagcor noted that since 2016, POGO operations have been contributing significantly to its overall revenues, which eventually go to the government’s coffers and various mandated beneficiaries.

In 2016, POGO operations generated P657 million and P3.924 billion in 2017 and P7.365 billion in 2018, it said.

n Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go kisses the hand of an elderly supporter during a campaign sortie. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Bong Go vows to promote women’s welfare CHRISTOPHER Lawrence “Bong” Go vowed to promote the welfare of women as he paid them tribute for their contribution to society.

“Ibinibigay ko po ang pinakamataas na pagpupugay sa mga kababaihan: Sa mga ina ng tahanan, sa mga kapatid na babae, tiyahin, ate at sa lahat ng kababaihan sa lahat ng sektor (I pay the highest tribute to women: to mothers, sisters, aunts and all women in all sectors),” Go said on Friday, International Women’s Day. He gave assurances that women could count on the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to uphold and protect the rights of women.

Go, who is seeking a Senate seat in the midterm elections, said

President Duterte had signed various laws for the benefit of Filipino women, including the Expanded Maternity Leave Act that gives mothers up to three months of paid leave to provide them more time to care for their babies.

Go also cited the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act” which strengthens the health and nutrition programs for pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, infants and young children.

He added that in 2017, Duterte signed Executive Order 12, directing government agencies to expand access to contraception, especially for poor women, stressing that poor households should have “zero unmet need for modern family planning.”

“Ipagpapatuloy ko po ang mga pagbabagong nasimulan ni Pangulong Duterte, kasama na ang mga programa para sa kapakanan ng ating mga kababaihan (I will continue the initiatives of President Duterte, including the programs for women),” Go said.

Go’s legislative agenda include the proposal to create mandatory positions for barangay (village) healthworkers (BHW), majority of whom are women, so that they can receive regular salaries and additional benefits.

Go lamented that village health workers only receive minimal honorarium because they are not considered regular employees.

“Sa ating kultura po, mga babae

talaga ang nangangalaga sa kalusugan ng pamilya kaya’t karamihan sa ating mga BHW ay mga babae.

Panahon na po na makilala ang kanilang malaking tulong sa ating lipunan at mabigyan naman ng karampatang mga benepisyo (In our culture, women are in the frontline of healthcare thus, most of them are women. It’s time for us to acknowledge their vital role and for them to be given commensurate benefits),” he said.

In his candidacy, Go placed health at the top of his priorities, including the establishment of more Malasakit centers where poor patients can avail themselves of medical and financial assistance from various government agencies.

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Support Pinoy post-grad

sistance, to support post-graduate students.

Ejercito, co-author of Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, a law that mandates free college tuition and other school fees in state colleges and universities, said the government should encourage college graduates to level up their technical, administrative, theoretical and philosophical literacies they have learned in college.

The senator pointed out that enhancement of knowledge in frontline service sectors such as business, banking, engineering, healthcare and public administration is always beneficial to the country.

“Maunlad ang mga bansang mataas ang educational attainment ng mga tao (Countries are progressive if they have people with high educational attainment),” Ejercito said.

The former San Juan City mayor and ex-congressman representing the lone district of the city is seeking reelection in the May midterm elections.

As legislator in the House of Representatives and Senate, he has a total of 76 enacted laws, out of 572 authored and co-authored bills, and 108 filed resolutions.

Two of his landmark laws as a senator are the Universal Health Care Act, which earned him the tag “Mr. Healthcare,” and the Creation of Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Act. JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday met a Filipino Muslim rebel leader who has become a regional governor under a Malaysian-brokered peace deal, telling him while it’s easier to shoot and kill than to develop a nation, prosperity can only happen in the absence of war.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Murad Ebrahim said Mahathir pledged during their meeting in Manila that his country would help ensure the success of the peace accord that transformed him and other rebel commanders last month into administrators of a conflictwracked Muslim autonomous region in southern Philippines.

Mahathir met Murad on the last day of his visit to Manila, where he held talks with President Rodrigo Duterte on a wide range of issues, including combatting Islamic Statelinked terrorists in Mindanao.

“Prime Minister Mahathir told him it’s easy to shoot and kill, but it’s difficult to develop. Chairman Murad said ‘Yes, that is the next level of our struggle, how to develop and transform our revolutionary organization,’” said Nabil Tan, a Philippine official who joined the meeting.

Murad said Mahathir told him, “If there is peace, then everything will come ... He really encouraged us.”

“I explained to him our priorities, the challenges. Part of the challenges is our transformation from revolutionaries to this governance.

We want to have programs that will benefit the people,” Murad told The Associated Press.

Under the peace deal brokered by Malaysia, Murad’s group gave up its goal of a separate Muslim state in exchange for broader autonomy.

The 40,000 fighters and at least 7,000 firearms that Murad’s group has declared are to be demobilized starting this year in three phases depending on progress in the agreement’s enforcement.

The first huge batch of about 12,000 guerrillas and their firearms would be demobilized in two to three months, Murad said.

His people, including fierce

n Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Muslim commanders facing criminal cases for past attacks, were sworn in last month to comprise 41 of 80 regional administrators, who would lead a transition government for the five-province region called Bangsamoro until regular leaders are elected in 2022.

Duterte picked his representatives, along with Muslim rebels from another group, to fill the rest of the transition authority, which will also act as a regional parliament.

The Philippine and Western governments see effective Muslim autonomy as an antidote to nearly half a century of Muslim secessionist violence, which the Islamic State group could exploit to gain a foothold in the region.

An annual grant, which could reach more than $1 billion, is to be set aside to bolster development in a region that has little infrastructure and is deeply scarred by decades of fighting.

Smaller but more violent groups aligned with the Islamic State group like the Abu Sayyaf still threaten the region.

A Malaysia-led team of 28 international peace monitors will remain in Mindanao until all Muslim guerrillas have demobilized under the peace deal, Malaysian officials said.

The European Union, Japan and Brunei Darussalam have contributed personnel to the peacekeeping contingent, which has been credited for enforcing a years-long ceasefire and helping ease major fighting in the past.

AP

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Otso Diretso bets ‘cowards’ and facilitate the public debate.

It also urged candidates endorsed by the Duterte administration to engage in a public debate and explain their stance on key issues and national policies.

All Otso Diretso candidates — Gary Alejano, Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino 4th, Chel Diokno, Samira Gutoc, Florin “Pilo” Hilbay, Romulo Macalintal, Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd and Erin Tañada — have joined televised debates for the May 13 elections.

Carpio previously criticized the opposition slate’s “fixation” on debates.

“Kung ang mga HnP-supported senators ay ang sun, ang HnP ay ang moon, sila po ay parang black hole (If HnP-supported senators were the sun and the HnP were the moon, they opposition candidates are like a black hole). Very depressing, dark and very disorganized,” she said.

Tañada, however, declined Carpio’s dare, saying she is not even running for senator.

“Eh hanggang ngayon, hindi nga nagsasalita ang mga kandidato ni Sara na lahat po tayo ay

sinungaling. Dapat nagsasalita po sila para ipaglaban ang integridad nila (Until now, Sara’s candidates have not spoken, have not said we are all liars. They should speak up to fight for their integrity),” he said.

Hilbay echoed Tañada, saying they would accept the debate challenge if it would be with fellow candidates for senator.

“We’re hoping that the [Senate] candidates of HnP can find courage to confront us, so that the people will be fully informed.

Hindi ito laban ng Otso Diretso against Mayor Sara Duterte (This is not a fight of Otso Diretso against Mayor Sara DuterteCarpio),” he added.

Carpio, who heads the HnP national campaign, has been quite receptive of Otso Diretso’s debate challenge but wants her candidates to decide for themselves.

Among the Hugpong candidates, only former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino and reelectionist Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito have indicated willingness to face the opposition in a debate.

n MARIJUANA FROM A1

President rejects ‘legal’ NEW BOOK

Manila Archbishop Luis Cardinal Antonio Tagle (second, from right) and Papal Nuncio Gabriele Caccia hold a copy of the coffee table book titled Manila Cathedral: Restoring A Monument to Faith, Architecture and History that was launched on Saturday. With them were former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban and GT Foundation’s Alfred Ty. PHOTO BY RUSSELL PALMA

will plant your own and declare it medicinal),” he said.

Duterte’s latest statement was contrary to his stance on the issue in 2016.

Last year, the President stirred controversy by saying he sometimes takes the substance to

stay awake.

House Bill 6517 or the “Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act,” which seeks to legalize medical marijuana for medicinal purposes, is pending before the House of Representatives.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

News Duterte on chosen bets: ‘They’re bright’ The Sunday Times

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

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BY CATHERINE S. VALENTE

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S the campaign period heats up, President Rodrigo Duterte has vouched for the capability of his candidates, saying they are all “bright.”

During a campaign rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino– Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party in Negros Occidental on Friday, Duterte spoke highly of his preferred senatorial bets, particularly reelectionist Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, whom he praised for his criticisms of government.

“JV ni ha. JV Ejercito, dili na siya Estrada.He has been a may-

or… Mayor ng San Juan. Congressman, dugay na kaayo. Ito nagaatake ito sa amin. Pero hindi ko man iniintindi ‘yan, kasi trabaho niya (His name is JV. Ejercito, not Estrada. He has been a mayor…

You were mayor for a long time, weren’t you? Mayor of San Juan.

He was a congressman for a long time too. He used to criticize us, but I don’t hold it against him be-

cause he was just doing his job),” Duterte said in his speech.

“But he’s one person na medyo nagapitik ba. Basta naa ta sa gobyerno , I said mao gyud na , that’s the necessary consequence (But he’s one person who criticizes. I said that’s just the way it is, that’s the necessary consequence),” he added.

The President said he admired people like Ejercito rather than “those who stay quiet and agree with everything I do even though it’s wrong.”

“So I respect his ethos. ‘Yung ethics at trabaho niya (his work ethics) and I like him. And I want him to continue — JV to criticize government if there is something wrong,” he said.

Ejercito is among non-PDPLaban members the President is campaigning for, which include reelectionists Cynthia Villar and Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Taguig Rep. Pilar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano, former Interior secretary Rafael Alunan 3rd, Ilocos Norte Gov. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos, and folk singer Freddie Aguilar.

The PDP-Laban candidates include Duterte’s former top aide Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, reelectionist Sen. Aquilino Pimentel 3rd, former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino, former national police and corrections chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, and Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu.

In his speech, Duterte described Villar as a strict but hardworking leader.

“She became rich, of course including the husband. Ito siya, istrikta (She is strict). Maybe sometimes marinig mo nagagalit.

But ‘yung galit kasi niya, out of ‘yung motherly concern. Wala akong nakita na rason bakit hindi ninyo siya ibalik (Sometimes she gets mad, but her anger is out of motherly concern. I see no reason why she should not return to the Senate),” Duterte said.

Duterte heaped praises on Angara and Cayetano, who he said were all “very bright.”

“He (Angara) criticizes us but not personal. The way we handle some important matters. He would call our attention,” he said.

MANICAD EYES TAX CUTS FOR ‘CULTURAL’ FILMS FORMER broadcast journalist Rodrigo “Jiggy” Manicad Jr. said he would work to remove taxes on films of “high cultural and historical value” if he wins a Senate seat in May. Removing the tax burden would encourage more producers to create quality films that promote patriotism and Filipino culture and arts, he said.

“Films like ‘Heneral Luna’ should be spared from taxes.

Movies like that touch the consciousness of a lot of Filipinos and contribute significant value in

terms of our history, culture, and identity. We need more of them,” Manicad said.

“Other countries are already doing this. They have a tax break for films promoting the country’s dialects, tradition and history, and are able to preserve these through film. Bakit hindi natin magawa din ‘yun dito?” he added.

Manicad, whose platform consists of promoting patriotism among Filipinos, cited Ireland which provides tax credits to films that pass a “Cultural Test” administered by a

local agency of culture and heritage.

“Films and television shows can apply for tax credits if they conform to certain criteria. Is the movie an important contribution to the promotion of national culture? Is the movie done in the local language? Is the movie mainly set in the Philippines and does it have main characters that are connected with Filipino culture? Does the film tackle historical subjects, relevant sociopolitical issues, local arts and traditions?’” he said The Hugpong ng Pagbabago

party bet said filmmakers can produce more quality films if their tax burdens were eased.

“With limited budgets, recent historical films such as ‘Heneral Luna’ and ‘Goyo’ remain independently-made,” Manicad said.

He said he was also promoting a “culture hour” on national television to advance peace and understanding of the country’s diverse cultures.

These proposals, according to Manicad, would provide a windfall of benefits.

“Dapat agresibo tayo sa pag-

susulong sa kulturang Pinoy (We should be more aggressive in promoting the Filipino culture).

We want to instill pride and importance in our culture and history, but we can also gain economically from this,” Manicad said.

“Look at the success of Japan, Korea. If we allow our best filmmakers to save millions of pesos in taxes, we can think of that as an investment in making Pinoy culture a globally-renowned brand,” he added.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

DoT hosts 17th Routes Asia in Cebu THE Department of Tourism (DoT) is all set to host the 17th Routes Asia that opens today in Cebu City in a bid to make the country one of Asia’s aviation hubs.

“We are ready for the hosting of 17th edition of Routes Asia. Cebu is ready for its send-off party as a major global and regional hub,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said on Saturday.

The DoT aims to improve the country’s connectivity and access to different tourist destinations.

It will be the second time for the Philippines to host Route Asia, the only route development event dedicated to the Asia Pacific region.

Puyat said hosting the aviation meet in Manila in 2016 helped the tourism and transport industry mount international air seats not just in Manila but also in the secondary gateways outside of the capital.

“We are positive that the same benefits will be experienced not only by the province of Cebu but by the whole of Central Visayas region,” she said.

Over 800 delegates, 100 airline executives, 20 airports representatives and 30 tourism authorities are expected to attend Route Asia.

The event will facilitate panel debates and discussions on the future of air transportation, self-connection, hub and route development, and the Philippine government’s advocacy of sustainable tourism.

Data from the Official Avia-

tion Guide analytics show that the Philippines saw an increase in international traffic of 11.33 million, a 5.4 percent growth from the 10.71 million recorded for the same period last year.

This growth translated to more than 600,000-increase in international air passenger traffic, as the demand for international inbound air seats to the Philippines remained very strong.

DoT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said further developments would draw higher foreign tourist arrivals for the eleven priority gateways — Laoag, Clark, Manila, Puerto Princesa and Legazpi in Luzon; Iloilo, Kalibo, Bacolod, Cebu and Bohol in the Visayas; and Laguindingan in Mindanao.

Puyat earlier said the government was certain to receive more visitors now that more airports can directly receive tourists from international flights.

“We’re actually confident that were going to reach it... and to [make that happen], first of all it is helpful that we have all these international airports,” Puyat said, referring to Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Clark International Airport.

“We’re an archipelago and we need more airports, access and connectivity. The opening of [these airports] has helped a lot because you have a lot of international flights entering,” she said. NEIL JAYSON

LEADERS

Former president and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo poses with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during a courtesy call at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City. Mahathir was in Manila for a two-day official visit.

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“Pia is very passionate about women issues. She’s really a fighter for the cause of the women, and hardworking. Kaya ako, pagka-nandiyan siya, hindi ako nagabiro ng ano (That’s why I don’t crack joke when she’s present),” he added.

The President also vouched for the governance skills of Marcos, amid controversies surrounding her educational background. ”Imee led a very colorful life.

She has a master’s in local government. She’s bright,” Duterte said.

The President also described Tolentino as a “bright lawyer.”

“Francis graduated from Ateneo de Manila [University]. Vote for him. Your vote will not go to waste.

Everyone here is bright,” he said.

Aquino seeks cash grant for filmmakers SEN. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino 4th has filed a bill proposing the granting of incentives to filmmakers who received recognition in international film competitions and festivals.

In Senate Bill 918, Aquino proposed that a P5-million grant be given to award-winning film producers.

“Filmmaking is a valuable part of our artistic landscape and is one way that we can showcase Filipino talent to audiences at home and around the world,” he said.

The bill also encourages the creation of more Filipino films under the creative control of award-winning filmmakers and artists.

In filing SB 918 or the proposed “World-Class Filmmakers’ Grant Act,” Aquino explained that it was the policy of the government to promote and support the growth of the Filipino film industry.

Under the measure, the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCAA) will oversee the implementation of the bill and provide for the P5-million grant to the producer of a Filipino film awarded best film or its equivalent in an international film competition and P1 million for those who were awarded for their technical excellence in various aspects of filmmaking.

Aquino said 30 percent of the amusement tax rebates accrued by the producer shall be distributed to film cast and crew who received awards as well.

The senator proposed an initial budget of P50 million to the NCCA for the implementation of the measure.

Appropriations for the succeeding years will be provided through the annual General Appropriations Act. JAVIER JOE ISMAEL

Sale of undivided estate Dear PAO, After the death of Dindo’s parents, he sold to me 300 square meters of land and we signed a deed of sale covering the said transaction. Two years thereafter, Dindo and his two siblings met and discussed the partition of the property which they inherited from their parents. Dindo’s sister named Beth is interested in the lot which I already bought from Dindo and claimed that the sale made by Dindo is not valid. What will I do in order to protect my interest over the land I bought from Dindo?

Valentina Dear Valentina, Dindo and his siblings became

co-owners of the estate left by their parents upon the latter’s demise.

This is in consonance with Article 777 of the New Civil Code of the Philippines which states that “the rights to the succession are transmitted from the moment of the death of the decedent.” Relative thereto, Article 493 of the said law also states: “Each co-owner shall have the full ownership of his part and of the fruits and benefits pertaining thereto, and he therefore can alienate, assign or mortgage it, and even substitute another person in its enjoyment, except when personal rights are involved. But the effect of alienation or the mortgage, with respect to the co-owners, shall be limited to the portion which

DEAR PAO

PERSIDA ACOSTA may be allotted to him in the division upon the termination of co-ownership.”

Thus, the sale made by Dindo covering his share in the undivided estate of his parents is valid provided it does not exceed his proportionate share. In the case of Quijano vs.

Amante (GR 164277, Oct. 8, 2014), the Supreme Court through Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin stated: “Even if an heir’s right in the estate of the decedent has not yet been fully settled and partitioned

and is thus merely inchoate, Article 493 of the Civil Code gives the heir the right to exercise acts of ownership. Accordingly, when Eliseo sold the disputed property to the respondent in 1990 and 1991, he was only a co-owner along with his siblings, and could sell only that portion that would be allotted to him upon the termination of the co-ownership. The sale did not vest ownership of the disputed property in the respondent but transferred only the seller’s pro indiviso share to him, consequently making him, as the buyer, a coowner of the disputed property until it is partitioned.

“As Eliseo’s successor-in-interest or assignee, the respondent was vested with the right under Article

497 of the Civil Code to take part in the partition of the estate and to challenge the partition undertaken without his consent. Article 497 states: “Article 497. The creditors or assignees of the co-owners may take part in the division of the thing owned in common and object to its being effected without their concurrence. But they cannot impugn any partition already executed, unless there has been fraud, or in case it was made notwithstanding a formal opposition presented to prevent it, without prejudice to the right of the debtor or assignor to maintain its validity.”

You became an assignee of Dindo’s right over his proportionate share on the undivided

estate of his parents when he sold his pro-indiviso (common or undivided property ownership) share to you. Being a co-owner of said estate, you have the right to take part in the extra-judicial settlement or division of the thing owned in common.

We hope that we were able to answer your queries. This advice is based solely on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. Our opinion may vary when other facts are changed or elaborated.

Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily column of the Public Attorney’s Office. Questions for Chief Acosta may be sent to dearpao@manilatimes.net

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Opinion

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

The Sunday Times

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E d i to r i a l Banning single-use plastics a must to protect environment

"S

HOCKING" is, indeed, the word that best describes the enormous consumption by Filipinos of single-use plastic materials, which, simply put and without belaboring the point for those who already know it, cause longterm damage to the environment and marine life.

Data from environmental nongovernment organization GAIA is astounding — every single day, about 57 million plastic bags are used throughout the Philippines, mostly for shopping. This does not include the use of smaller, thinner and often transparent plastic bags, called “ labo ”, the packaging of choice for the neighborhood sari-sari or variety stores for goods ranging from candies to cola drinks.

More worrisome is the widespread use of plastic sachets — 60 billion pieces a year, or about one per person per day. These packets are nonreusable, as these are often lined with aluminum or contain other materials that do not allow for recycling.

This pattern of tingi, or consumption per piece, practiced by sari-sari stores and even pharmacies, unheard of in other parts of the world, was hailed years back as a novel and very profitable business model for consumer-focused companies. These manufacturers have been able to move their products in a poor but massive consumer market like the Philippines.

This tingi culture is coming back to haunt us, but it needs to go. The great Filipino writer and National Artist Nick Joaquin deplored it in his seminal essay, “A heritage of smallness,” where he bemoaned the incapacity of Filipinos to think and do big, to go beyond kinship and the small barrio, and yes, to be more economical and buy cheaper by the dozen. “[T]his is a country, perhaps the only one in the world, where people buy and sell one stick of cigarette, half a head of garlic, a dab of pomade, part of the contents of a can or bottle, one single egg, one single banana. To foreigners used to buying things by the carton or the dozen or pound and in the large economy sizes, the exquisite transactions of Philippine tingi cannot but seem Lilliputian. So much effort by so many for so little,” Joaquin wrote.

GAIA’s report was actually an extrapolation, a scientific one, based on 21 waste assessments in six cities and seven towns. One telling finding is that, while sachet retail is an affordable option for lower-income households, even rich consumers buy products in sachets, perhaps because of a simple reason: they are available in the market.

Another important finding: localized bans work and reduce consumption drastically. Many cities and towns have banned single-use plastics such as shopping bags in supermarkets and straws in restaurants.

The GAIA report calls for the government to “institute a comprehensive national plastic bag ban that promotes reusable bags,” as well as “regulations on other single-use plastic products and rules requiring companies to redesign products and packaging to minimize plastic waste.”

To be sure, there are other countries among the list of the world’s worst plastic polluters: China, Vietnam and Indonesia. This is not good company; a nationwide ban on single-use plastics, through legislation, is in order, not only to strike the Philippines off the notorious list but, more important than that, to protect the environment and marine life from utter ruin.

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

The Sunday Times

VOLUME 120 NUMBER 148

Dante A. Ang, Chairman Emeritus Rene Q. Bas, Publisher Emeritus Nerilyn A. Tenorio, Publisher-Editor Arnold E. Belleza, Executive Editor Felipe F. Salvosa II, Managing Editor Leena C. Chua, News Editor Lynette O. Luna, National Editor Tessa Mauricio-Arriola, Lifestyle Editor Perry Gil Mallari, Sports Editor Lea Manto-Beltran, Supplements Editor Jomar Canlas, Chief of Reporters Rene H. Dilan, Chief Photographer Dante F. M. Ang 2nd, President and CEO Blanca C. Mercado, Chief Operating Officer Roda A. Zabat, Advertising Director Vicente P. Cruz, Jr., Circulation Director Denise O. Calnea, Marketing Communications and Services Director Telephone All Departments: 524-5665 to 66; Subscription: 524-5664 Local 222 Advertising: 524-5664 Local 121 Telefax: 310-5895 or e-mail advertising@manilatimes.net www.manilatimes.net • e-mail newsdesk@manilatimes.net Letters to the Editor THE MANILA TIMES is published daily at 2/F Sitio Grande, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1002 The owners, managers, publishers and editors do not necessarily share the opinions expressed and the statements made by individual authors of columns, commentaries and other articles published in The Manila Times.

The moral and civil rule of law

W

HAT is it that keeps a family, a community, a nation from the brink of chaos, uncontrolled corruption, and grave injustice, and prevents violent attacks, assassinations and mayhem? What brings civilized living, cooperation and development to a people?

It is the rule of law.

Human beings emerged from the violent savagery of the law of the jungle, settled in communities and began to plant food and create villages. To survive in these small groups, they agreed on a set of rules of behavior that imposed restraint and control, and those, in turn, created peaceful living.

The rules emerged over centuries from the experience of life and death. The knowledge of what was right and wrong, good and bad, true and false for the community and the individual emerged in the development of the human conscience. There was then belief in the divine revealed law, the Ten Commandments of the ancient world. The completion of that divine law in the commandment of love of neighbor, personal and human rights and dignity, freedom and equality, child and women’s rights, were brought most powerfully by Jesus of Nazareth. It was mainly the

REFLECTIONS

FR. SHAY CULLEN, SSC Greek and Roman civilizations that codified civil law, although previous civilizations had also developed the rule-of-law society.

The rule of law is opposed to the rule of violence and injustice.

It is supposed to end the might of the powerful over the weak and vulnerable. It establishes the relationship of government to the person and communities. All are accountable before the law, the rulers and the ruled. It is based on the consent of the majorly in the community who agree to abide by it provided there is a democracy. If not, it will not be the rule-of-law for the people, by the people; it will be the rule of the king, the dictator, the tyrant or the party.

This agreed set of rules and regulations that directs and controls human behavior, regulates ownership, protects the individual, establishes rights and duties is the basis of civilization to promote growth and prosperity. But do most people respect and obey the Rule of Law?

The status of a nation in the community of nations is now set in the ranking of World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index.

This highly respected organization, based in Washington DC, researches and counts just how nations respect and obey the rule of law in 113 countries. The WJP has eight sections or categories for its surveys as it listed: “Constraints on Government Powers, Absence of Corruption, Open Government, Fundamental Rights, Order and Security, Regulatory Enforcement, Civil Justice and Criminal Justice.”

The results of 110,000 individual interviews and consultations with no less than 3,000 experts qualified in their fields provide the basic data on each country and help determine each one’s position in the ranking of countries that are the most civilized by adhering strictly to the rule of law.

So, is the world respecting the rule of law, respecting human rights and dignity, personal freedom, abolishing discrimination, standing for the right to life and security, absence of violence, rape, murder, child and woman abuse and racism? Can we celebrate a steady progress towards creating nations built on equality, justice, truth, peace

and respect for the freedom of expression, where labor rights are protected and the right to privacy, freedom of association and religion is enjoyed by all?

Sadly and profoundly disappointing, the answer is “no.” In many nations the rise of crude ignorance, hatred, violence, division and the absence of reasoned discussion is becoming the trend.

The far-right groups are promoting racist and discriminatory policies.

They are gaining political support in many countries. Hungary, Poland, Italy and others are moving in this direction in Europe.

Dictatorships are flourishing in Africa, and Venezuela is on the brink of dictatorship. The root of discontent and violation of the rule of law is in various economic woes: inflation, austerity measures, corruption and greed. There are a few very rich people, while many remain very poor. The yellow vest movement in France indicates this.

In terms of abuse and overreach of government power, 64 percent of countries, out of the 113 surveyed, fell short of respecting the law and showed less constraint on government power in their country. For overall respect for the rule of law, as many as 34 percent of

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n RONQUILLO FROM A1

The horrors and nightmares of 1994

leap into the unknown. It might be, the pro-farming groups said, like jumping from the frying pan into the fires of hell.

The snake-oil salesmen-cumtechnocrats of the Fidel Ramos administration, who prepared the talking points for the gullible senators, tried to ease the fears and nightmares of the pro-agriculture groups. Of course, like snake-oil salesmen and used-car dealers, the promised scenarios were too good to be true.

I was a full-time farmer then.

And I admit to having committed one monumental folly, giving the hucksters the benefit of the doubt. That the hucksters branded the anti-GATT voices as anti-poor and anti-development effectively tamed down our meek protests.

What did they promise us, the farmers, who in 1994 were torn between our gut feel to dismiss the WTO promises as scams and our gullible side, which said the WTO promises might be true?

Three things, all heavenly.

— A yearly increase of P3.4 billion in agricultural export earnings — Creation of new 500,000 agricultural jobs yearly — Increase in the annual GVA (gross value added) of agriculture by least P60 billion In the year 2000, an assessment was made. What happened to those heavenly promises after six years?

Did the WTO accession really bring to the agriculture sector a muchwelcome renaissance? Or, was the

gut feel of the farmers then — that it would be like jumping into the fires of hell — eminently validated?

The general findings of assessment after assessment can be summed up as: — Agriculture productivity declined — Agricultural prices fell — Agricultural export earnings declined — Reckless importation eroded food security and self-sufficiency — Farm unemployment rose — Agricultural transnational corporations and global trading giants had been the prime beneficiaries.

To put the assessment into two timelines would lead to a better appreciation of the brutal impact of the accession on Filipino farmers and the agriculture sector. First, the performance of agriculture from 1991 to 1994 was much, much better than the performance of the sector from 1995 to 2000.

But what was to follow was this: From 2001 hence, the record of agriculture was a nightmarish failure.

What about the promise of “market access” so Philippine agricultural products could move with ease into the markets of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies? It did not happen.

In fact, the WTO was a reverse Robin Hood. It was a case of the rich countries dumping with ease their agricultural products (yellow corn, soya, etc.) and inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) into the helpless developing countries like

the Philippines, the rich sucking what could be profitable from the developing economies.

The horrors and nightmares of 1994 are now haunting us, farmers, as the Rodrigo Duterte administration and a pliant Congress had effectively dismantled the last protection enjoyed by the small farmers, the end of the quantity restriction on rice imports and the start of the regime of reckless rice importation. And the selling of the rice tariffication policy — horrors of all horrors — invoked essentially the same words used by the WTO salesmen in 1994: the elimination of “trade distorting” structures and the stabilization of the supply of the basic staple.

The Orwellian tone of the rollout of the rice import liberalization policy pushes us back, the affected farmers, into an eerie and scary sense of déjà vu. We have been through this horror show before. Even the words to promote the accession in 1994 and rice import liberalization now are eerily similar.

Then, the muffled voices of the farmers were effectively shut down by accusations that any anti-WTO sentiment was “antipoor” and “anti-development.”

Today, the economic managers of the DU30 administration essentially raise those same arguments — that those protesting the end of the QR (quantitative restrictions), the 3 million small rice farmers, are not at

all concerned with the interests of the broader society, the 80 million rice consumers.

The so-called economists and flacks from both the Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd government and the Duterte administration have praised the rice tariffication policy.

There are two questions left unanswered by the Aquino-Duterte flacks and the economic managers of the administration: 1) Is importation a viable national food security strategy? 2) What if an epic climatic development results in a significant drop in the rice productions of China and India, the two top rice producers?

The answer to the first question is no. And never.

The answer to the second question is this — global chaos in the rice-eating world will take place.

There will be a mad scramble for the available rice surplus. Global prices of rice will skyrocket. The global rice surplus, in this time of plenty, is about 50 million metric tons. Bring it down to 30 million metric tons , and this scenario will take place.

In such an event, the Philippines, now dependent on importation for its rice supply, will run out of rice to buy.

And remember this. The global rice surplus is thin by any standard. And it is vulnerable to production downturns.

Only a reckless and cynical government will anchor its food security on importation, especially for the basic staple.

The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY March 10, 2019

n MIRANDA FROM A1

Winning culture culture, both in mind and in heart. Also, for this reason, the Manchester United has become a celebrated case study in the Harvard Business School.

Corporate experts Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy describe organizational culture, such as what Manchester United has, as “the way we do things around here.” It might sound simplistic, however, this kind of culture in reality provides members of an organization the stirring insight on how to effectively work together to achieve common goals.

“What is more important to long-term prosperity is a group’s culture — the inner values, rites, rituals, and heroes — that strongly influences success, from all sectors of the organization,” the two leadership gurus write in their book titled Corporate Culture.

This culture cannot exist in a vacuum. It must root from core ideologies, which are honed, protected, respected and treasured by all the stakeholders of an organization. To identify these, just remember: if the virtue directly addresses the raison d’etre of the organization, make it one of the core values.

Also, people are not mindreaders. The desired culture of an organization must be communicated, as often as possible. In simple communications, formal discussions, meetings, and even in informal engagements, the core values should be present. To note, technology is a blessing in this age and time. There is no excuse for not being able to communicate.

But one aspect that should never be missed out is walking the talk, which is the strongest

medium in communicating the culture of an organization.

Alignment and consistency can help reinforce the organizational identity. Goals should be clear in an organization — from its establishment, the moment of recruitment of members, to the direction of efforts and resources, even to the penalties and recognitions. These objectives must be aimed at strengthening the culture of the organization.

Fit is such an essential factor as well in fortifying the culture of an organization. This is where the right-person principle comes into the picture. People usually fit in a group when their espoused values are aligned with the culture of the group. However, this does not mean that all of the group’s members must act, respond and behave in the same way. Rather,

they must have the same set of values that can allow them to reach and achieve set goals.

Establishing or shaping organizational culture takes time.

Whether it be in a university or a business company, the emergence of a desirable culture will depend on effective communication, unfailing consistency and the proficiency in finding the right fit for the organization.

Jesus Jay Miranda, OP is the secretary general of the University of Santo Tomas. He holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management (ELM) and teaches at the Graduate School of UST and the ELM Department of the Bro. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC-College of Education of De La Salle University-Manila. Contact him at jaymiranda.op@ust.edu.ph.

Taiwan and China: Then and now, and in the future CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

BY GERICK CHUA

M

Y grandfather was born in 1910 in Xung Tong, Year 3, during the regime of the late Qing Dynasty at Fujian Province, Jin Jiang, Lion Stone District.

At age 15 he moved to Santo Cristo Street in Manila Chinatown in 1925. He earned a living by trading and loved the Philippines, so he converted into Philippine citizenship. My mother was born and raised in Manila.

I was also born and raised in Manila Chinatown.

Taiwan and me During my elementary and secondary education in Manila Chinatown during the 1990s, most of the Chinese books and education support I received were from Taiwan. We studied the Taiwan Phonetics Bopomofo ㄅㄆㄇㄈ. As long as there is Taiwan Phonetics, I can read any words in that language.

When year 2000 came, the Chinese influence on Manila Chinese school education started, caused a change in Taiwan Bopomofo to Chinese Pinyin, which is easier for Filipinos to learn in the sense that it uses the English alphabet to represent the pronunciation.

Like most Filipino Chinese, I’d say my Mandarin is not fluent — it would probably be at an elementary grade-1 level in Taiwan, although I was a high school graduate from a Chinese school in Manila. But most Filipino Chinese speak fluent Hokkien.

I did not appreciate the importance of Mandarin and Hokkien during my childhood in Manila, as I failed to see a compelling advantage in using it, as compared with Tagalog and English. I joined a Tagalog newspaper and honed my Tagalog, instead, and enjoyed

using Tagalog when I’m in Manila.

I moved to Singapore and lived there from 2007 to 2009 and in Taiwan from 2011 to 2014. It made me appreciate the Hokkien and Mandarin I learned.

During my days in Taiwan, I was compelled to learn Mandarin because it was needed for everyday survival — for purposes of mobility, taking transportation and for ordering food.

Only during my stay in Taiwan did I truly understand and know the place. Taiwan, for me, is like a middle point between Japan and the Philippines. Geographically, it is in the middle of Manila and Tokyo. My wife is Japanese and we would, at least, move around Manila and Tokyo once a year. A direct flight from Manila to Tokyo may take more than four hours, and it is difficult for our toddlers.

Manila to Taipei is only about two hours, and Taipei to Tokyo takes about three hours. We always take a stopover in Taipei to enjoy Taiwanese food and hospitality.

Things in Manila are affordable, but expensive in Tokyo.

However, Taiwan would be a good middle point in between, in terms of price. A good balance of safety, quality and price.

Culturally it is a middle point as well. Filipinos are very friendly and can easily be friends in one meeting. Japanese would need some space and take time to become friends. The Taiwanese are in between. That is why Taiwan has been a favorite destination among both Japanese and Filipinos.

The Japanese would sometimes say the street-food stall culture in Taiwan is like that of Japan 50 years ago, during the 1970s. The Taiwanese have been raised to be friendly to foreigners, elderly and the people in need. In some Asian countries, people would grab seats for themselves, even with a pregnant woman around, or elderly

or child passengers in the train.

In Taiwan, there are reserved seats for those in need; students and young people would stand up and offer their seats to those in need. Police officers in Taiwan are amazing, too. When I visited one police station to ask for directions, they even offered me tea. When I tried to hitchhike in Taipei, a police officer advised me to do it in the gas station for better chances. Taiwan is very safe and the Taiwanese are very friendly.

When we talk about technology in Taiwan, I would say Taiwan excels in technology.

The use of RFID card in Taiwan is one successful case. The RFID card spans the usage for train transportation, bike rental, convenience store, school ID system and many other uses in daily life.

China and me When I was a student at the National University in Singapore from 2007 to 2009, I joined a school trip to China for 30 days.

We went to Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Beijing, Shanghai, Tian Jin, Shen Zhen and Wen Zhou. We joined our international schoolmates from Singapore. It was a great experience for all of us. The 30-day visit has definitely polished our Mandarin skills and provided us a great cultural learning experience.

Each of the cities we visited was different and beautiful.

Hong Kong is a mega city with British influence. Compared with other cities, English and Cantonese are also spoken in the city. Macau is unique for being a casino city. Guangzhou is less developed, and people primarily speak Cantonese. I was amazed at the number of bicycles in Shanghai and how they use it as a means of transportation.

When we visited Fudan Uni-

versity in Shanghai, students were very generous to lend us their bikes and showed us around their nice campus. We stopped to see government offices and companies in Nanjing, Beijing and Shenzhen, including Bai Du and Lenovo.

We enjoyed and appreciated the hospitality of the people in China. My favorite city to visit in China is Wenzhou, which is surrounded by mountains. We visited the Wenzhou University and were impressed by the discipline, hard work and innovativeness of the students. Wenzhou is a very business-minded city. People are polite and nice. I made friends with several people there in just three days. People in Wenzhou treated me like family from the beginning. They provided us a generous lunch and showed us around their wonderful city.

Technology in China has impressed the world, with Alipay and Wechat, while the homegrown electronic payment system not only services China but reaches out to the whole world.

(End of part I) Gerick Chua, born and raised in Chinatown in Binondo, studied in a local Filipino Chinese School and received his degree at De La Salle University Manila. He finished his Master’s degree at Ateneo Graduate School of Business. He went to the National University of Singapore in 2007 until 2009 to take up business courses, during which time he also visited China on a 30-day trip.

By profession Gerick has worked in several IT Business services in various regions, including Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Korea. His work experience spans knowledge management, automation, continuous improvement, security and electronic money.

Will ‘People Power’, or powerful people, change the world?

BY SOLITAIRE TOWNSEND LONDON (IPS): When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a hero. While my friends dressed up as princesses, I wore a home-made Joan of Arc costume. Where others read romance novels, I read about fighting dragons. I didn’t want to be a princess, I wanted to save them.

Then I grew up.

As we get older, most of us exchange our dreams of heroism for the realities of our daily responsibility. We don’t slay dragons or save the world, but we do feed our

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countries fell lower on the index (2016). This is a serious and troubling decline. Whereas only 29 percent of the countries surveyed showed an improvement, the other 37 percent of countries surveyed remained the same.

The top three winners on the

kids and try to be decent people.

And we look to our leaders, in our governments, business and civil society, to do the dragon slaying for us. Our institutions hold the power and the responsibility to protect us from threats, to lead the way and make the hard decisions.

But somewhere inside us, the urge to be a hero remains — and the time has come to let our inner hero out. Because true global sustainability demands that individuals — and not just institutions — take action.

And that’s why I’m so proud the

new Good Life Goals exist.

These new goals were inspired when the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscored the need for people power in its latest report, by recommending actions for people, not just policy makers, for the first time.

So, every one of us now has a role in defeating the climate threat, from changing how we eat and travel to how we heat our homes.

And people power can go even further. We have a role to play across the entire sustainability agenda.

This conviction is why I have dedicated my professional life to translating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into a set of actions for everyone. Because heroism is a renewable resource.

When the SDGs were launched, the United Nations made it clear that “For the goals to be reached, everyone needs to do their part: governments, the private sector, civil society and people like you.”

Our Good Life Goals were developed and designed to make the "people like you"

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Opinion

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When is a column not a service counter?

E MY SAY

VELYN Galang was a winning kagawad candidate in the last elections for barangay officials in Concepcion, Tarlac. The official count showed her ranking 7th from the top. But when the official eight winners for her barangay council were proclaimed, she was not one of them.

So here she comes, lugging all documents attesting that she won that 7th slot — imploring me to take up, through my column, her cause with the Comelec.

How ever had I become a Makalintal? *** I write nicely about PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan for his fine performance at the job, so next comes Danilo Macapagal from Navotas, asking me to intercede with the Mandirigma for medical assistance, which the PCSO Individual Medical Assistance Program (IMAP) has, as alleged, consistently not quite addressed.

In the second place, my dear reader friends, I don¡¯t have such clout with Mandirigma as you might be imagining. And in the first place, the good general, who has had the splendid record of having put up with two past presidents ¨C with GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) whose order for him not to testify in the Senate investigation of the “Hello Garci” scandal in 2005 he defied, and with PNoy (Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino), against whom he ignited a thousands-strong mass condemnation of the PDAF (The Priority Development Assistance Funds) scam in 2013 ¨C has been indelibly steeped in the Philippine Military Academy motto: A cadet does not lie, does not steal, does not cheat, nor tolerate any of these three.

That motto for his prime doctrine makes his administration of the PCSO aboveboard, everything according to the rule, and that should make either me or this column a non-sequitur in the agency's delivery of services to the people.

If at all, what all the above illustrates is that people generally view a column as some kind of a magic wand, which in one single stroke can get things done.

Therefore, that’s how powerful columnists are regarded by followers — to the extent of doing what the government cannot.

Against Catbalogan’s Tans Now, here’s the latest among those who perceive I could work out miracles. A native of Catbalogan who has been having trouble in finding medical help for her ailing mother happens to be a relative of an inaanak of mine by marriage. Fed up with the inattention, allegedly, by the provincial government, to the plight of the sick mother, the girl finally decided to bring the patient to Manila for treatment somewhere. Trouble is, that somewhere happens to be my responsibility now. Under the continuing parochialism obtaining in the country, seeking government service ultimately boils down to whom you know, and what my inaanak knows for the purpose of this ill relative is, who else, goodie ol’ me.

“Pisteng yawa,” the waray patient cusses. “ Maihana ako na nangaro hin medisina waray maihatag. Dako ang budget sa medical care, bis usa ka tulon hin vitamin waray ako pakainom.”

That transalates to: “You beasts.

I’ve long been asking for medicine, they can’t give anything. For all the big budget for medical care, I can

MAURO GIA SAMONTE take not a drop of vitamin.”

I’d be hard pressed to be translating word for word each time I must quote the woman’s statement, so let me just simplify the style of the narrative.

According to the patient’s daughter, who sounds informed enough as to know the social conditions of Samar, the allocation of the provincial budget for health care and medical services amounts to millions of pesos. One account puts that amount of procured medicines by the provincial government at P375 million.

“What they do,” complains the patient’s daughter, “is sell those medicines to drug stores owned by the powers-that-be in Samar at prices the public can ill afford.”

My own inquiry reveals that for solving the medical and health woes of the province, the rather ambitious construction of the Samar Island Medical Center (SIMC) has been deemed viable by the Regional Development Council (RDC), the regional arm of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

This is a virtual go-signal for the project, which is estimated to cost P1.14 billion.

I remind the patient and her daughter of the proposed hospital and tell them that Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan has expressed commitment to support the construction of the hospital and, in fact, announced a willingness to put up some of the capital outlay requirements and additional health workers. Also, that construction of the hospital has actually begun, with the first phase of the project being funded by the P150-million initial financial download to the province by the Department of Health earlier this year.

I tell mother and daughter, it seems just a matter of time that the present provincial hospital capable of accommodating only 100 patients can expand in facilities, personnel and medicines supply to be able to deliver medical and health services to Samar’s 800,000 population.

For the women’s reaction to this information of mine, I suffer another translation: “Ay, the Tans. They are all over the place.

Governor Tan. Vice Governor Tan. Congressman Tan. It seems it’s all Tans down to the lowliest barangay tanod. They own the politics of the province. They own the business. They own the people’s lives. How lucky can one family get? It’s they alone who are living. While we, whom they should serve, are all dying there.”

Indeed, and yet mother and daughter sincerely believe this column can deliver what from their officials they cannot get.

The better to refer this to Sen. JV Ejercito, he who labored to pass the Universal Health Care Law. The law, which makes every Filipino citizen covered by PhilHealth, is one of so-called twin legislations (the other one being the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Act) authored by JV and very recently signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

In his campaign sorties, JV is amiably called Mr. Health Care.

The folks of Catbalogan suffering under the yoke of the Tans’ dynasty can take a cue from this: get Senator JV back to the Senate and get assured of cure for all your sick.

The moral and civil rule of law index were Denmark, Norway and Finland. The lowest were Afghanistan at number 111 and Cambodia at 112. Last of all was Venezuela at 113. The index noted that the Philippines fell 18 points and is now 88th out of 113 overall, and is 13th in the East Asia and Pacific

Region. The government said in a statement that it would strive to improve its position in the Ruleof-Law index by next year.

Besides the rule of law, which is made by government hopefully elected by the people to govern them justly and fairly, there is

moral law. This is the code of human conduct developed by reason, conscience and religious beliefs over centuries, as well as guided by what is morally right, just and correct in human behavior. Something might be lawful according to the strict letter of the law, but

morally wrong.

When a powerful landlord has the means to legal rights to land that the poor have worked for many generations, the eviction of the farmers is morally wrong and the farmer’s claims are morally right. The farmers have natural

justice and right on their side. The moral law should protect them.

So every person, institution and nation ought to respect the moral law as a priority, while they rule justly by the rule of law.

www.preda.org

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Opinion

The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY March 10, 2019

Can Trump stop the invasion?

PENNSYLVANIA: In its lede editorial Wednesday, The New York Times called upon Congress to amend the National Emergency Act to “erect a wall against any President, not just Mr. Trump, who insists on creating emergencies where none exist.”

Trump “took advantage” of a “loophole” in the NEA, said The Times, to declare “a crisis at the border, contrary to all evidence.”

The Times news desk, however, apparently failed to alert the editorial page on what the top story would be that day.

“Record Numbers Crossing to US, Deluging Agents” was the page-one headline. The Times quoted Kevin K. McAleenan, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection: “The system is well beyond capacity, and remains at the breaking point. ...

This is ... a border security and a humanitarian crisis.”

Reporter Caitlin Dickerson explained what is behind CPB’s alarm: “The number of migrant families crossing the Southwest border has once again broken

CREATORS SYNDICATE

PATRICK J. BUCHANAN

records, with unauthorized entries nearly double what they were a year ago.”

She continued, “More than 76,000 migrants crossed the border without authorization in February, an 11-year high ... newcomers continue to arrive, sometimes by the busload, at the rate of 2,200 a day.”

Only if one believes in open borders is this not an emergency, not a crisis. Consider the budgetary impact alone of this invasion.

The majority of migrants breaching the border are from Mexico and Central and South America. Most do not read, write or speak our English language, are not college graduates and arrive with few skills.

Almost all will enter the half of the US population that consumes more in social benefits during their lifetime than they

will ever pay in taxes.

With the US debt over 100 percent of gross domestic product and the deficit running at nearly 5 percent of GDP, at full employment, the burden the migrant millions are imposing upon our social welfare state will one day collapse the system. For these folks are coming to a country where education K-12 is free and where, if the Democrats take over, pre-K though college will be free.

These folks will be eligible for city, county, state and federal programs that provide free or subsidized food, rent, housing and healthcare.

All were enacted for the benefit of US citizens. Uninvited, the Third World is coming to partake of and enjoy them.

With 328 million people here now, approaching twice the number as in 1960, how many more can we take in before government sinks under the weight of its beneficiaries?

And there is a larger issue.

If, as appears probable, Presi-

dent Trump is not going to be able to build his wall and all the security measures taken in this century have proved inadequate to stanch the invasion of America, how does the invasion end?

Or is this the endless invasion, where the future is decided on our 1,900-mile border with Mexico and we, as the last superpower, are a pitiful, helpless giant too morally paralyzed to stop it?

The resolution and determination of Third World peoples to come to America, even if they have to break our laws to get in and stay, is proven.

And if there is no matching national will to halt the invasion, and no truly effective means that would be acceptable to our elites, the migrants are never going to stop coming. And why should they?

Politically, this invasion means the inevitable death of the national Republican Party, as peoples of color, who vote 70-90 percent Democratic in presidential elections, become the new

Eight years on, Fukushima still poses health risks for children

BY AKIO MATSUMURA NEW YORK (IPS): On March 11, we commemorate the 8th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

To an outside observer, this anniversary passes as a technical progress report, a look at new robot, or a short story on how lives there are slowly returning to normal.

Yet in Japan, the government has not figured out how to touch or test the irradiated cores in the three crippled reactors, which continue to contaminate water around the site of the meltdown. The government does not know where it will put that radioactive material once it can find a way to move it.

Meanwhile, the government and site operator are running out of room to store the contaminated water, which is filling up more and more tanks. The cleanup is estimated to take 40 years and the cost is estimated at $195 billion.

The latest publicly released findings of radiation levels are from 2017, when Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco) had to use a remote-controlled robot to detect the levels in Reactor 2, since no human can approach the crippled reactor.

The rates read 530 sieverts per hour, the highest since the March 2011 meltdown. We have no reason to believe that they have fallen since then. Remote-control robots are being used in the other reactors as well, indicating that radiation levels are similarly high there.

Even using the robot, work can only be carried out for very short times, since the robots can only stand 1,000 sieverts of exposure — less than two hours in this case.

This is an extremely high amount of radiation. After Tepco published the rate, the Asahi Shimbun reported that “an official of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences said medical professionals have never considered dealing with this level

nize that children are 20 times more radiosensitive than adults, girls twice as vulnerable as little boys and fetuses much more so.”

Unicef can lead

n A child inspected in Fukushima prefecture, Japan the UN through 2005. of radiation in their work.”

There is evidence that thyroid The Japan Times quoted Dr. Fumiya Tanabe, an expert on cancer rates are higher among nuclear safety, who said that the Fukushima’s children than the “findings show that both the national population, but it is a preparation for and the actual latent disease: it is still too early decommissioning process at the to tell what the full impact will be. plant will likely prove much But it is clear the case needs action.

Scientists will always offer difmore difficult than expected.” ferent opinions, swayed first by uncertainty, but also, sadly, by Fukushima’s children politics, money and ambition. need international Some will claim that the eviattention dence has been exaggerated, There have been many victims underestimated, or that perhaps of this disaster. Thousands of we’re at too early a stage to be people have been displaced from certain. Or that we need more their homes. Local fishermen are time to clarify the results. I have worried that the government will seen many instances of these proceed with its plan to dump arguments at the United Nations the storage tanks of contami- and international science conferences. Why do we wait and make nated water into the ocean.

Others worry that the flow of another mistake?

Helen Caldicott, a medical the radioactive wind and contaminated water are reaching North doctor and founding president America and will continue to do of Physicians for Social Responsibility, part of a larger umbrella so for the next 40 years.

Above all of these important group that was awarded the Noissues, it is the children of Fuku- bel Peace Prize in 1985, wrote: shima who most need our atten- “The truth is that most politition. They are at risk of higher cians, businessmen, engineers rates of cancer because of their and nuclear physicists have no exposure to the contamination innate understanding of radiofrom the initial explosion. In biology and the way radiation Chernobyl, the only comparable induces cancer, congenital malcase we have, more than 6,000 formations and genetic diseases cases of thyroid cancer were which are passed generation to found in children according to generation. Nor do they recog-

We face many complex challenges of climate change, poverty alleviation, and national security. The health and welfare of children must always be our top priority. They are our future; our deepest purpose is to care and provide for them. By deciding not to fully investigate the effects of Fukushima, we fail them.

We all agree with that personally, but which institution is best positioned to carry out the mission?

To me, Unicef, the United Nations Children’s Fund, is the only answer.

Indeed, putting children above national security is at Unicef's core.

Maurice Pate, an American humanitarian and businessman who joined Unicef at its inception in 1947, agreed to serve as the executive director upon the condition that Unicef serves the children of “ex-enemy countries, regardless of race or politics.” In 1965, at the end of Pate’s term, the organization won the Nobel Peace Prize.

To this day, its mission includes a commitment to “ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children — victims of war, disasters, extreme poverty, all forms of violence and exploitation and those with disabilities.” The children of Fukushima deserve the protection of Unicef.

Akio Matsumura is founder of the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders on Human Survival and also the secretary general of the Global Forum Moscow Conference hosted by President Mikhail Gorbachev at the Kremlin in 1990 as well as of the Parliamentary Earth Summit Conference hosted by Brazil National Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 1992

n PEOPLE POWER FROM A5

Will ‘People Power’, or powerful people, change the world? part comprehensible and even exciting. They bridge the gap between the high-level targets of the SDGs and the sustainable lifestyle movement that calls for action by citizens in the everyday choices they make.

By providing personally-relevant links between the SDGs and the actions individuals can take in their daily lives towards these goals, the Good Life Goals send a message that everyone can play an important role in the future.

Individually and collectively we have the right, responsibility, and the opportunity to change the world for the better.

The Good Life Goals will help us learn more about sustainability

and the most urgent issues that we face, demand action from leaders, stand up for the vulnerable or exploited, and teach our children about the SDGs. Some of the specific actions under the Good Life Goals are deliberately targeted to ‘over-consumers’: those who live far beyond a one-planet lifestyle and have a greater responsibility (especially on environmental impact).

While most of the actions are designed for everyone and include how we treat each other and the world around us. One of the most popular has been to ‘teach kids kindness.”

Smart choices are at the core of creating a world that works

for everyone. From smart choices made by individuals in their daily lives to the choices made by multination companies and governments, the way we produce and consume directly correlated to the resources we use or the trash we produce.

On March 11 to 15, government leaders, CEOs of major companies, innovators and activists will gather in Nairobi to debate, challenge and help activate those choices at the Fourth UN Environment Assembly.

For those who can’t be there, please join in online. Using the #SolveDifferent hashtag we can use our "people power" to make the difference between good inten-

tions and real action.

The Good Life Goals are already being used to harness people power and bring about change in a lot of small ways. Businesses are adopting them in staff communication and marketing, storytellers and media organizations are embedding the actions in TV and film, educators and students are using them to connect the complex world of policymaking to everyday life.

How can you use them, too?

Because to change everything, we are going to need everyone.

Solitaire Townsend is a sustainability expert and co-founder of the change agency Futerra

majority of 21st-century America.

The bell will toll for the Grand Old Party when Texas votes like California in some presidential election. That is game, set, match.

What is remarkable is how our cultural elites are giddily embracing what most of the advanced world is recoiling from.

The Times that berates Trump for trying to secure the border with his wall constantly bewails the rise of ethnic nationalism, populism, tribalism and “illiberal democracies” in Europe.

But the rising “isms” of the new Europe are driven by popular fear and loathing of the very future The Times cannot wait to embrace.

Japan’s population of 127 million, the second oldest on Earth, has begun to shrink. But there seems to be no desire in Japan to import millions of East or South Asians or Africans to replace the vanishing Japanese.

Does China look upon its diversity as its greatest strength?

Hardly. Beijing is repopulat-

ing Tibet with Han Chinese, and has set up “reeducation camps” to de-program Uighur Muslims and Kazakhs in the west so they sever their birth attachments to their ethnicity and faith and convert into good communists.

In the US, the ball is now in Trump’s court.

If he cannot get a Democratic House to fund his wall and the forces now on the border are being overwhelmed by the migrants, as CPB reports, how does he propose to halt the invasion?

And if he does not stop it, who will? And what does failure mean for America’s future as one nation and one people?

CREATORS.COM

Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of Nixon’s White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever. To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com.

FOCUS

On NKorea, Trump clings to ‘all or nothing’ strategy WASHINGTON: In Hanoi, Donald Trump overturned the widely held assumption he would be willing to settle for an interim agreement on North Korea’s denuclearization.

But despite the breakdown of the summit and the atmosphere of skepticism that now abounds, the US president seems determined to stick with his “all or nothing” approach, betting on his personal “chemistry” with Kim Jong Un to save the day.

Trump insisted Friday his relationship with Kim “remains good” even as his aides attempted to paper over the collapse of the high-stakes second summit which concluded last week without even a modest deal on reducing Pyongyang’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

“Nobody in the administration advocates a step-by-step approach,” a senior State Department official told reporters this week.

In other words, Washington wants what administration officials have called a “big deal” — “the complete elimination of their weapons of mass destruction program,” the State Department official said.

In return, Washington would ease the pain of the crippling sanctions that have strangled the isolated North’s economy.

“It really seems there’s an all or nothing approach right now from the administration,” Frank Aum, a former advisor to the Pentagon, said at a recent meeting hosted by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

“That seems to be backtracking” which “the Kim regime would not be very happy about,” Aum added.

It’s a position that has taken many observers by surprise given how, in the run-up to the summit, the administration dropped numerous hints it was willing to take a more incremental approach to the talks.

“In no rush” was how Trump repeatedly described his stance — a position echoed by his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who emphasized: “We’ve always known this would be a long process.”

The administration’s point man on North Korea, Stephen Biegun, said the US would be prepared to pursue commitments “simultaneously and in parallel” while suggesting there was room for maneuver when it came to sanctions.

That created the impression that Washington could be willing to countenance the step-by-step disarmament and sanctions relief sought by Pyongyang.

Trust deficit

But when Kim proposed dismantling the Yongbyon nuclear complex in exchange for lifting the main sanctions, Trump refused.

“It has very much been character-

istic of past negotiations to take an incremental approach to this that stretches it out over a long period of time, and quite honestly, has failed on previous occasions,” the senior State Department official said.

In Washington, the new line has been interpreted as a victory for National Security Advisor John Bolton, long a hawk on North Korea, over Pompeo and Biegun.

Even as Washington increasingly turns its attention toward next year’s presidential election, the administration exhumed a goal that has long been buried and seen as unrealistic by experts: the total denuclearization of North Korea by the end of Trump’s term in 2021.

For Jenny Town of the 38 North think tank, the lack of even a partial accord has meant “we have lost that momentum” created by last year’s rapprochement.

“You already see things starting to spiral downwards,” Town said.

Satellite imagery analyzed by her organization revealed that Pyongyang has begun rebuilding a long-range rocket launch site it had promised to dismantle, and North Korea’s official news agency has now overtly blamed the US for the failure of the summit.

The “all or nothing” approach has “always failed because [of] two mutually distrustful actors,” Town said at a recent conference.

The Kim dynasty has long seen nuclear weapons as a security guarantee against what it perceives as the hostile, bellicose intentions of the United States.

“What this administration tries to do is to show that there is no hostile intent,” Joseph Yun, a former US special representative for North Korea policy, said at the USIP meeting.

“But that’s a tough thing to prove and we’re kind of stuck at that, which is why the North Koreans are asking that we go on a step-by-step approach to have a better foundation on that trust fact.”

What happens now?

So what next? Washington hopes to resume working-level talks as soon as possible, and has reacted in a measured way to revelations about the rebuilding of the rocket test site.

US officials say the main goal for now is to make sure the North Koreans do not resume testing in any way, including of space launch vehicles.

Trump is even ready for a third summit — he is convinced, as ever, that his personal relationship with Kim will be the difference at the end of the day.

For Town, this represents an “opportunity” for the North Koreans, who “are very aware that this is an unconventional president,” seeing as “they didn’t have a good track record with the conventional presidents.” AFP

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Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR THE AVAILMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHARGE/SHARE FROM THE UNIVERSAL CHARGE FOR THE REHABILITATION AND MANAGEMENT OF WATERSHED AREAS (PLAN 16), ERC Case No. ________________ NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION, Petitioner. x-----------------------------------------------x PETITION PETITIONER NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION (NPC), by counsel, unto this Honorable Commission, most respectfully states that: 1. Petitioner is a government owned-and-controlled corporation created and existing under and by virtue of Republic Act No. 6935, as amended (NPC Charter), with principal office address at NPC Office Building Complex, Quezon Avenue Corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City, where it may be served with notices and other processes of the Honorable Commission; 2. Under the NPC Charter, particularly Section 3, paragraph (N) thereof, Petitioner is vested with the power to exercise complete jurisdiction and control over watersheds surrounding the reservoir of plants and/or projects it constructed; 3. To further strengthen its jurisdiction and control over watersheds, Executive Order (EO) No. 224 was issued on 16 July 1987, wherein Petitioner was granted complete jurisdiction, control and rehabilitation over the following watershed areas and reservations: (1) Upper Agno Watershed Reservation as covered by Proclamation No. 548; (2) Angat Watershed Reservation as covered by Proclamation Nos. 505 and 599; (3) Caliraya-Lumot Watershed Reservation as covered by Proclamation No. 573; (4) Makiling-Banahaw Geothermal Reservations as covered by Proclamation No. 1111; (5) Buhi-Barit Watershed as covered by Proclamation No. 573; (6) Tiwi Geothermal Reservation as covered by Presidential Proclamation No. 739; 4. Accordingly, Petitioner became responsible for the management, protection, development, and rehabilitation of the aforementioned watershed areas, including but not limited to the following: (1) Enforcement of forestry laws, rules and regulations governing the Integrated Management of Watershed Reservation under Ministry Order No. 83-01-13, Series of 1982; (2) Identification of areas which required immediate rehabilitation and development; (3) Preparation of plans and programs using the integrated multiple use concept of Watershed Management for the maximum utilization of Watershed resources; (4) Formulation and/or implementation of measures to prevent denudation of the forest cover and siltation of existing reservoirs; (5) Public education and information drive to create awareness among the populace of the importance of forest resources and watershed areas; (6) Promotion of the development and conservation of existing vegetative cover; (7) Formulation of plans and development programs for resettlement and relocation; (8) Coordination with other government agencies/instrumentalities, religious and civil groups in undertaking forest conservation measures in watershed areas; (9) Afforestation, reforestation and physical rehabilitation measures in critically denuded watershed areas; (10) Development, maintenance and management of free farms within adequately vegetative watershed for the production of transmission line poles; 5. Petitioner’s jurisdiction and control over watersheds was again recognized and reiterated in Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the “Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001” (EPIRA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), particularly Section 6 (c), Rule 23 of the IRR, wherein Petitioner is mandated to continue to be responsible for watershed rehabilitation and management; 6. Under the EPIRA, Petitioner is entitled to the Environmental Charge (EC) equivalent to one-fourth of one centavo per kilowatt-hour sales (P0.0025/kWh), which forms part of the Universal Charge (UC). This environmental fund is intended solely for watershed rehabilitation and management and is being managed by Petitioner under existing arrangements. In order to avail said EC, Petitioner is required to submit to the Honorable Commission a petition for availment of the UC-EC in relation to the proposed watershed rehabilitation and management projects on or before March 15 every year. Hence, this petition; 7. In support of the instant Petition, Petitioner hereby submits the proposed operations plan for Calendar Year 2019 (hereinafter referred to as “Plan 16”) for the availment of the UC-EC for the rehabilitation and management of the watersheds. (Attached as Annex “A” is the Executive Summary of Plan 16 which forms an integral part hereof); 8. Plan 16 is crafted in order to intensify and strengthen Petitioner’s undertakings to address the issue on the uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas. For the past 16 years (2002-2018),

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Petitioner has embarked on non-stop greening initiatives in its various watershed areas which have gained acceptance and cooperation by its stakeholders. In line with the Greening Program of the National Government, Petitioner’s Watershed Management Department (WMD) and its Watershed Area Teams (WAT) are committed to reforest idle/ open and denuded areas and promote the use of indigenous species (Rainforestation) in its greening projects. Alongside with the greening programs, WMD intends to raise planting stocks primarily to share and disperse to qualified beneficiaries to plant trees in their respective communities; 9. Plan 16 is composed of programs and projects specified in Section 1 of Article II of the Rules and Procedure Governing the Utilization and Disbursement of UC-EC (Rules) with the proposed modes of procurement in implementing the same. In particular, Plan 16 involves the following programs and projects: (1) Watershed Protection and Law Enforcement; (2) Watershed Rehabilitation; (3) Watershed Resource Development; (4) Personnel and related administrative/logistical expenses; (5) Tools, materials and equipment repair, maintenance and/or acquisition; (6) Project audit and/or third-party evaluation; (7) Training/livelihood projects. These programs and projects were recommended by the concerned WAT. And the same were reviewed and evaluated by the Head Office-WMD. (Attached as Annexes “D” to “M” are the proposed plans of the WATs assigned in Angat , BuhiBarit, Caliraya-Lumot, Lake-Lanao Agus River, Mak-Ban, Pulangi, San Roque, Tiwi, Upper Agno and the WMD-Head Office which forms an integral part hereof); 10. Plan 16 covers the six (6) watersheds over which Petitioner has complete jurisdiction and control by virtue of EO 224, San Roque Watershed (Lower Agno) which is being managed by Petitioner for San Roque Multi­Purpose Project by virtue of PD 2320, and Lake Lanao­ Agus River and Pulangi Watershed Area which Petitioner has a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; 11. Plan 16 still forms part of the original 10-year Integrated Watershed Master Plan (IWMP) which was approved by the National Power Board last 27 September 2018 as per Resolution No. 2018-040. Likewise, Plan 16 is crafted with reference to the previous proposed plans submitted for the approval of the Honorable Commission; 12. Aside from maintaining the objectives of the previous proposed plans submitted to the Honorable Commission, Plan 16 particularly seeks to attain the rehabilitation through vegetative measures of 3,059 hectares; reduction of sedimentation and soil erosion inside Petitioner’s reforestation areas of at least 2,880 tons/year (Sapalco, S.R., 1981); increase biodiversity in terms of species richness and flora and fauna population thru conservation and ecotourism programs; Strengthening and sustaining of 9 Bantay Watershed Task Force Group created purposely for the protection and conservation of the watershed areas; sustaining tapping more than 730 volunteers to augment the existing watershed protection personnel; employment of more or less 1,000 individuals from the local community; and, provide income through livelihood projects and produce from the established plantations; 13. Plan 16 complies with ERC Case Res. Nos. 18 Series of 2011, which requires Petitioner to conduct consultation with the Local Government Units (LGU) and LGAs where projects will be situated. Reference is made with those of the environmental projects of the LGUs and LGAs so that no duplication in the funding of projects will occur. Concerns of the stakeholders are brought to the attention of concerned WAT and this serves as the latter’s guide in the packaging of Plan 16. This also ensures the support of the LGUs and the local communities for the proposed project; 14. In order to attain the objectives of Plan 16, Petitioner would need to avail and utilize the funds from the UC-EC amounting to a total of TWO HUNDRED FORTY MILLION FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND SEVENTEEN PESOS 78/100 (PhP240,425,017.78), as shown in the Consolidated Financial Summary attached as Annex C. This was computed based on existing rules and regulations prescribed for government projects; 15. In compliance with Section 2 (b), Article II of the Rules, Petitioner furnished a copy of the instant petition to the Sangguniang Panlungsod and Office the City Mayor of Quezon City where Petitioner principally operates, and publish the same in a newspaper of general circulation.

(Attached as Annexes “N” and “O” are proofs of service and publication of the Petition.)

Special Attorney - OSG Roll of Attorneys No. 37784 IBP Lifetime Membership No. 01748, llocos Sur PTR No. 5567664/ 01.05.18/ Quezon City MCLE Compliance No. V-0004048 / 10.07.2014/ Pasig City

DELFIN L. BUENAFE II Department Manager - Legal Service Special Attorney - OSG Roll of Attorneys No. 48636 PTR No. 3865011/ 1.09.17/ Quezon City IBP Lifetime Membership No. 012829; Quezon City MCLE Compliance No. V-0004030 / 10.07.2014 / Pasig City

DIWA RAFAEL B. BONTUYAN Corporate Attorney Special Attorney - OSG Roll of Attorneys No. 64390 PTR No. 7447994/ 1.14.19/ Quezon City IBP Membership No. 098340/ Quezon City MCLE Compliance No. V- 0019297 diwa.rafael@gmail.org

MARIA CHRISTINA L. LAIG Corporate Attorney B Special Attorney-OSG IBP O.R. No. 1022969; Lifetime; RSM Chapter Roll of Attorneys No. 61361 PTR No. 7447998; 01/14/2019; Quezon City MCLE Compliance No. VI-0016765; 12/13/ 2018 OFFICE Of THE GENERAL COUNSEL NATIONAL POWER CORPORATION COMPLEX Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road Diliman, Quezon City Tel No. (02) 926-1837 Republic of the Philippines) Quezon City ) SS. VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION I, ATTY. MELCHOR P. RIDULME, of legal age, under oath, state that: 1. I am the Vice-President for Legal, at the same time, General Counsel of National Power Corporation, of the Petitioner; 2. Pursuant to NPC Board Resolution No. 2001-134 (Annex “0”) I have caused the preparation of the foregoing Petition and have read and understood all the allegations contained therein, and the same are true and correct based on my own personal knowledge and authentic records; 3. I certify under oath that - a) the petitioner has not commenced any other action or proceeding which is pending in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, or any other tribunal or agency; and b) to the best of my knowledge, no such action or proceeding is pending in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, or any other tribunal or agency; 4. I likewise undertake that - a) If there is any such action or proceeding which is either pending or may have been terminated, I will state the status thereof; and b) If I should thereafter learn that a similar action or proceeding has been filed or is pending before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, or any other tribunal or agency, I will undertake to report that fact within five (5) days there from to the court of agency wherein the original pleading and sworn certification contemplated in Administrative Circular No. 04-94 dated February 8, 1994 has been filed.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto affixed my signature this __________ day of March 2019 in Quezon City for Pasig City.

ATTY. MELCHOR P. RIDULME Affiant

WHEREFORE, premises considered, Petitioner prays that the instant petition be APPROVED by the Honorable Commission.

Petitioner prays for other just and equitable relief.

Quezon City for Pasig, 08 March 2019.

FOR THE SOLICITOR GENERAL

ATTY. MELCHOR P. RIDULME Vice President - Legal Counsel

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 08th day of March 2019 in Quezon City. Affiant is personally known to me.

Doc. No. 389; Page No. 78; Book No. IV; Series of 2019.

MT- Mar. 10, 2019

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Duterte to DAR: Distribute lands

BY EUGENE Y. ADIONG

B

ACOLOD CITY: “CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) is the law, and I will implement the law,” President Rodrigo Duterte said.

The President declared thus at the ceremonial distribution of 3,423 Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOAs) to representatives of 2,495 agrarian reform beneficiaries at

the Balay Kauswagan in Sagay City, Negros Occidental on Friday night.

He ordered the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to distribute the government-owned

lands to agrarian reform beneficiaries within the last three years of his term.

“I told [DAR Secretary John] Castriciones to give it to the people, including land located in the mountains,” Duterte said.

The CARP was implemented during the term of President Corazon Aquino, but there had been a problem in the distribution of land covered by CARP, he said.

“The problem is [that] the distribution has been slow because

there were some people who do not want to let go of their land,” the President stressed.

Duterte also promised farmer beneficiaries that they would receive fertilizers and support services, and vowed to give each of them cellular phones so they could report their complaints if these promises were not fulfilled.

Castriciones, in a separate media conference, said the President wanted private lands with valid no-

tices of coverage and alienable and disposable government-owned land distributed.

In Executive Order 75 that Duterte signed on February 15, all agencies were instructed to identify government-owned lands that could be distributed to land reform beneficiaries, he said.

Castriciones added that they would focus on Negros Occidental since the province remained number one in terms of land acquisition and distribution

with 98,000 hectares still up for distribution.

DAR has 600,000 hectares of remaining private land up for distribution in the entire country, mostly in Negros Occidental.

Since 1988, the government has distributed 5 million hectares to 3 million farmers, Castriciones said.

DAR would also distribute 300,000 to 400,000 parcels of government lands nationwide, he added.

Police seize P31.2-M shabu in Cebu City A NEWLY IDENTIFIED drug dealer who yielded more than P31 million worth of shabu was arrested in a buy-bust in Barangay Duljo Fatima, in Cebu City on Friday night.

Police Captain Francis Talosig, Cebu City Police Station 11 chief, said suspect Rayven Gonza, 20, sold a medium pack of shabu for P50,000 to a poseur buyer at about 8:30 p.m. along a small corner of C. Padilla Street.

Confiscated from Gonza were 18 more medium packs and four large packs, weighing 4 kilos, of shabu estimated by

BAYWALK PATROL The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ group of bikers called Manila Bay Watch Bike

Patrollers join the bike ride on Saturday to guard the baywalk from littering civilians as it undergoes rehabilitation. PHOTO BY RUSSELL PALMA

SC clears Cagayan mayor of election raps THE Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed a lower court ruling that acquitted former city mayor Randolph Ting and city treasurer Salvacion Garcia of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan for violation of the Omnibus Election Code.

In a ruling by Senior Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, the Third Division of the high court denied the petition filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) as it upheld the decision

dated June 16, 2015 and a Resolution dated Nov. 5, 2015 of the Court of Appeals (CA), which recognized the orders of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Tuguegarao, Cagayan Branch 5.

Ting and Garcia were charged with violation of Batas Pambansa 881, known as the “Omnibus Election Code,” for issuing a treasury warrant during the 45-day election ban as payment for two parcels of land purportedly for a

public cemetery of the city in 2004.

In an order, the RTC granted the demurrer to evidence file by Ting and Garcia and acquitted them, citing the prosecution’s failure to prove that the check was delivered to the vendors of the lots within the prohibited period.

The RTC added that just because the title was issued in favor of the City Government of Tuguegarao on May 5, 2004, it

did not follow that payment was in fact made on the same day.

The Commission on Elections, eventually dismissed the same case, as it found that since the treasury warrant was issued not for public works, thus no liability could arise from it.

The CA has denied the OSG’s Petition for Certiorari until the case was brought before the high court.

JOSE MARCELL A. CANLAS

n PURGE FROM A1

GRAFT PURGE TO CONTINUE he terminated the services of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Alexander Balutan.

In a statement, Palace spokesm a n S a l va d o r Pa n e l o s a i d Duterte decided to sack Balutan because of “serious allegations of corruption.”

The Palace official, however, did not elaborate on the supposed corruption issue hurled against the PCSO executive.

“We hope that this will serve as

a stern warning to all government officials and employees that there are no sacred cows in the current administration, especially when it comes to serving the Filipino people with integrity and loyalty,” Panelo said.

In September 2016, Duterte appointed Balutan, a retired Marine general, as PCSO general manager.

Balutan has been accused by PCSO board member Sandra Cam of spending P10 million for a Christmas party in a five-

RegionalDrugWatch MAUTE LINKED SHABU DEALER KILLED IN LANAO SUR

COTABATO CITY: A shabu dealer linked to the Maute terror group was killed in Lanao del Sur, while Sultan Kudarat police operatives arrested a businessman for illegal drugs use and possession of firearm. Police Brig. Gen. Graciano Mijares, of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, identified the suspect as Mamintal Manan who was killed in Barangay Pugaan, Ditsaan Ramain town. Also arrested was his accomplice, Saidamen Caya, whom local officials said was also into large-scale drug trafficking. Manan, a murder suspect, was caught while reportedly remitting proceeds of his large-scale drug trafficking activities to the Maute terror group, officials said on Saturday. Political leaders in Lanao del Sur had confirmed that Manan was linked to a drug ring peddling shabu for Abu Dar, the new leader of the Islamic State-inspired Maute terror group. Police Col. Madzgani Mukaram, Lanao del Sur Police Office director, said Manan was facing case for the murder of Senior Police Officer 1 Mohammad Liwalug in Lanao del Sur on Dec. 4, 2018. Meanwhile, in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat, the police arrested on Friday Ricky

star hotel. He, however, said the agency spent only P6 million for 1,500 PCSO employees.

Last year, Duterte said the accusations against Balutan for spending millions was “nothing” to him “as long as the money reaches the people.”

In his Friday’s speech, the President reminded anew government officials to shun corruption and not make life difficult for the people.

“Maawa ako sa tao (I pity the

people). And you must remember that we are government workers and we work for the people. We do not make it hard for them,” he said.

The President encouraged the public to report cases of corruption, including policemen involved in extortion, to his office.

“Nagwa-warning ako (I warn you). I will fire you. I will dismiss you. I will just file a case against you,” he said.

CATHERINE S. VALENTE

Santillan, a businessman, who was facing charges of illegal drugs use and illegal possession of firearm.The raiding team found four sachets of shabu, a homemade pistol and shabu paraphernalia from Santillan’s home.

JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL

MARAWI ‘BIG TIME’ DRUG SYNDICATE MEMBER NABBED

MARAWI CITY: The Philippine National Police (PNP) arrested a woman, believed to be a member of a big time drug syndicate in Lanao del Sur, on Wednesday. Supt.

Madzgani Mukaram, Lanao del Sur Police Provincial Office chief, said Sofia Ebra Bayantol, alias Noro Datumaas, 29, of Barangay Dilimbayan, Maguing, Lanao del Sur, was arrested in a buy-bust. Confiscated from the suspect was one plastic sachet containing shabu, weighing about 55 grams, and the P3,000 marked money. Meanwhile, in Malabang, Lanao del Sur, another buy-bust resulted in the death of Caharodin Moda Abocadama, 28, who allegedly engaged police operatives to a gunfight. Report said that during the drug transaction in Barangay Banday, Abocadama sensed that he was dealing with a poseur buyer and pulled out his caliber .45 pistol triggering a firefight. He died on the spot.

MASIDING NOOR YAHYA

the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) to value P3.2 million. The drugs were found packed inside his blue backpack.

Gonza, who has been under surveillance for the last two weeks, admitted that he got involved in the illegal drugs trade because he was unemployed.

Talosig added that they were tracing the source of the confiscated banned substance, while Gonza was detained and would face charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

RHEA RUTH ROSELL

Nationinbriefs QC APPROVES PENALTY FOR ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS

THE Quezon City government recently approved an ordinance imposing fines and community service penalty on city ordinance violators. The measure, introduced by Councilors Ranulfo Ludovica and Godofredo Liban 2nd, provides enforcement of various ordinances on violations such as drinking of liquor in public spaces, being half naked in public places, disregarding curfew hours for minors, smoking in public spaces, among others. Any person cited in violation of any of the ordinances shall be apprehended and be issued an Ordinance Violation Receipt (OVR). The violator must render community service if unable to pay the fine, which are: one to two days of community service for the first offense; two to three days for the second offense; and three to four days for the third offense. Minors are exempted from the issuance of an OVR but shall be recorded as “child at risk” if their violation shall be brought to the attention of any barangay (village) official until they are released to their parents or guardian. Fines paid by the violators would be equally distributed to the city government and the barangay.

BAGUIO MASS IMMUNIZATION RUNS UNTIL MARCH 31

BAGUIO CITY: The mass immunization campaign of the City Health Services Office (CHSO) undertaken to stem cases of measles, Japanese encephalitis and polio will run until March 31 in all health centers here. City health officer Rowena Galpo urged the public to have their children vaccinated, free of charge, to protect them from the infectious diseases. Given are measles vaccines with Vitamin A supplementation for children six to 59 months old or below five years old, and pre-school kids who are more than five years old but are not yet in grade school. Oral polio vaccine for children zero to 59 months old, while the Japanese encephalitis immunization are for children nine to 59 months old. But the CHSO said there had been no record of Japanese encephalitis cases in the city. Apart from the free immunization program, the health office advised the public to observe health protocols to avoid contracting infectious diseases. They can do this by keeping babies away from crowded places and practicing healthy lifestyle to build body resistance.

GABY B. KEITH

ASG MEMBER KILLED IN SULU CLASH

A MEMBER of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) was killed in a clash with government troops in Talipao, Sulu on Saturday morning. A report from authorities said the 2nd Special Force Battalion engaged an escaping Abu Sayyad subgroup, led by Jaber Susukan, to a 20-minute gun battle in Barangay Upper Binuang at around 6:50 a.m. One bandit was killed. The battalion was part of the blocking force of the Joint Task Force Sulu in Patikul town to hunt down ASG members.

ROY D.R. NARRA

QC DESIGNATES SEATS FOR PWDS, PREGNANT WOMEN, SENIOR CITIZENS

QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista recently approved an ordinance that designates courtesy seats for persons with disability (PWDs), pregnant women and senior citizens in all private and public establishments. Introduced

by Councilors Donato Matias and Franz Pumaren, the measure states that courtesy seats in all establishments in QC must be provided, with appropriate signage, to give PWDs, pregnant women and senior citizens better safety and comfort. Violators would be issued warning for the first offense, but would face a fine of P5,000 and/or six months suspension of business permit on the second offense, and P5,000 fine and/or revocation of business permit on the third offense. All government offices within QC shall also receive a warning from the Quezon City Office for Senior Citizens Affairs, Persons with Disability Affairs Office and the Social Services Development Department for the first offense and corresponding penalties for subsequent offenses.

Business Times The Sunday Times

n keep in view Business leaders to watch out for

Anna V. Tatlonghari

President, Ayala Land International Sales (ALISI)

SUNDAY MARCH 10, 2019

Email: bizreports@manilatimes.net

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A biology graduate now heads real estate giant Ayala’s overseas marketing arm that boasts offices in Italy and Dubai. With the help of foreign sellers and brokers, tapping into the increasingly affluent OFW community, sales figures have now reached a whopping 10 billion pesos

Miss International

BY LOUISE NICHOLE LOGARTA

I

T HAPPENS every so often that people veer off the path laid out before them and, instead, go down another where they shine.

So it was in the case of Anna V. Tatlonghari, president of Ayala Land International Sales Inc. (ALISI).

A BS Biology graduate of De La Salle University, Dasmariñas, this bubbly and animated professional says she contemplated studying medicine, going so far as to take the National Medical Admission Test.

But a career in sales won out. “Sometimes, there are things that happen to you that make you change your mind,” she explains. She landed her first job in retail as a store manager for United Colors of Benetton and Marithe + Francois Girbaud, after which she moved on to merchandising as a buyer. The early to mid-1990s signaled the rise of real estate as a lucrative field, and so Anna rode the wave, getting on board Megaworld Corporation, Shang Properties and eventually, Filinvest Alabang Inc. (FAI) where she spent five years as a senior unit manager.

After a year in Cebu helping rebrand Commonwealth Estates, her true passion came in the form of new business development. Ayala Land invited her back with them promising a brand-new position leading a team heading new projects and

“

If you go to Hong Kong or Singapore, you meet all these top executives who are Filipinos.

You feel really proud. We’ve already progressed from how people think of OFWs

Anna and wine loving girlfriends enjoy a night out on the town (top right), in Hong Kong with her team (center) and exploring a wine cellar in Rioja, Spain.

ABOUT ME ROLE MODEL

Dinna Byangos, former ALISI President. I admire her leadership style. She’s got a strong personality, but she can be gentle too.

setting up new endeavors. One project she headed was the conceptualization of commercial pieces of property for rent to potential institutional clients in areas outside Metro Manila such as Bicol, Batangas, Cavite and Antipolo. Another entailed handling the leasing group of Avida as they were gearing up to rent out units.

In 2006, Ayala Land wanted a change in the company’s international operations, and Anna was tasked to lead this. In addition to offices in Rome and Milan, where many Filipinos worked, the company wanted to set up a Dubai office in order to cater to the OFW (overseas Filipino workers) market based there. The following year, Anna transferred from Avida to ALISI and was given the task of handling Channel Development as well as Marketing. Channel Development dealt with tapping overseas sellers, brokers from the US, for instance, to help them market their projects. Marketing, on the other hand, involved implementation of traditional and digital techniques.

After a mere three years, Anna was promoted from Channel Development and marketing manager to general manager and eventually became the first president to assume responsibilities concentrated solely on operations for ALISI. Commenting on the OFW market, Tatlonghari says: “When you talk about this sector, you’re really talking about the skilled workers and blue-collar professionals, so it’s really a wide scope. But if you try to pinpoint where the OFWs are and what they’re doing, or maybe how they’ve progressed in the past 10 years, we feel that the Filipinos

GOALS

To influence and help people reach their goals and to finish a legit culinary course in Spain.

FIRST PAYING JOB

Fashion consultant at Marithe + Francois Girbaud in 1994 after graduating. I really thought it sounded cool st the time.

MORNING ROUTINE

I always start my day with a prayer then I meditate. Run for 30 minutes. Shower. Prepare my own protein drink.

SPECIAL SKILLS

I cook a lot of Asian and comfort food at home, and I bike or walk to save the carbon footprint on weekends.

TIME YOU SPEND ON SOCIAL MEDIA

I love Instagram! I check it probably three times a day, so most likely two hours on weekdays, while weekends are special.

have reached a certain point in the corporate environment especially in Asia.

“If you go to Hong Kong or Singapore, you meet all these CFOs (chief financial officers), for example, or finance practitioners, advertising or IT professionals. You just feel really proud. Even the bankers and the lawyers in Hong Kong are Filipinos. We’ve already progressed from how people think of OFWs. They are now just like the expats you see here. We’re treated the same way in other countries. Though a big chunk is still made up of the engineering, hotel or retail business, we see an increase already in the professionals.”

Their numbers in Ayala Land support that growth. From 400 million pesos in sales in 2005, they have increased to a whopping 10 billion pesos just last year, a clear indicator of the strength of the overseas Filipino market.

Working in Ayala Land is advantageous for Anna as it allows her to expand her knowledge and keep abreast of the latest developments in her field. One such opportunity was being part of Harvard Business School’s Executive Leadership Program.

“ALISI is very generous in such a way that they feel that the success of the employees, especially the senior leaders, is really dependent on the education and the training that we get,” she says. “Of course, action is very important but so are the principles that you learn from school, the training that you get in the seminars and the skills that you develop along the way.”

Several batches, each consisting of 50 Ayala Land middle managers, were selected to join the program taught by actual Harvard professors. Despite the pressure to excel, Anna recalls that it was a fun experience.

“Perhaps, the major learning there for me was to just be open to new things.”

Travel is also a major factor that makes work fun for the ALISI president. “Who wants to sit in an office all day?” she laughs.

Since their market is based overseas, it only makes sense that they are where the projects are. “You just have to bring in the results.”

As president of the international arm of a real estate giant, Anna is constantly bombarded with challenges. Managing relationships and people, whether colleagues or staff, remains a formidable hurdle, especially since the people she works with all have strong personalities.

They are competitive by nature. Working with millennials has taught her that the workforce is now composed of individuals who need to find substance and inspiration in their work.

“My push to my team is to not just engage people, but to remind them of why they’re here,” Anna says. “We are guided by Ayala Land values of LIVEM: leadership, integrity, vision, excellence and malasakit.” This allows them to strive further and to do things the right way.”

When she’s not traveling or office bound, Anna says she enjoys eating out and savoring wine, although she would not call herself a fervent “foodie.” A collector of wines for eight years now, she has visited celebrated vineyards such as Napa Valley, Tuscany and Rioja. On her list for future trips are Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Locally, she visits Txanton on Chino Roces Avenue where she claims they have a great selection of jamon and Spanish or Argentinian wine.

Her gastronomic penchant stems from childhood. Her French-Vietnamese mother allowed Anna and her sister to sample different kinds of food growing up. On her free days, she spends time with her sister and her parents, who own Bawai, a Vietnamese restaurant with branches in Tagaytay, White Plains, Quezon City and Bonifacio Global City.

If Anna has any words of wisdom to people in all fields and professions, whether old or young, it is this: “Every single thing that happens to you, whether you’re in bad shape or having a good day, just be grateful.

“At the end of the day, what really sustains you is your attitude.”

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Business Times

˜ The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

Empowering through recognition

BY YUGEL LOSORATA

Y

ou empower the skilled when you give them due recognition. Such is the point of citing the best talents who submitted their works for scrutiny in the National Digital Arts Awards (NDAA) held at the Jose Rizal Room of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on February 26.

“This serves as a rallying point to alleviate the appreciation of digital arts in the country,” said Globaltronics Inc. President William Guido. “The vision is to create awareness and give due recognition.”

Described as a game-changer in the world of digital media, Globaltronics has been presenting such occasion as its way of paying it forward, having established itself as a current leader in digital signage and out-of-home advertising.

NDAA, which started in 2013, went through entries in six categories, namely digital art in print, character design, animation, digital short movie, website usage experience, and drone movie experience. All these have fueled creativity and innovation in the corporate world of today — two areas counted by Globaltronics as being NDAA’s core.

Guido expressed, “I’m both humbled and very proud of what has been done this year as we have broken barriers again for

this nation-building platform and connected for more talents in the country.”

By far its biggest edition, the 2018 NDAA gave an equivalent of around P7 million in scholarships, grants, training modules, and cash.

In its first staging, it had only two categories.

A total of 21 winners, professionals and students combined, were announced at the ceremony billed as “recognizing the deserving Filipino digital artists who showcase their exemplary creations and world-class talent.” A panel of highly acclaimed judges, including internationally recognized short film director Arvin Belarmino and visionary entrepreneur Alvin Tan, selected them.

“This should also be a call for the business community to lend more support to the digital medium and the talents propagating it. Talent-wise pwede na makipagsabayan globally ang Pilipino. We have more risk-takers than ever,” stated Bellarmino.

n Globaltronics President William Guido addressing the crowd at the National Digital Arts Awards held at the Philippine international Convention Center on February 26.

“To the digital artists, you have to stay genuine and be you. Stand out by raising your own voice,” he added.

The highly admired Guido commented, “Through NDAA, we hope to inspire and motivate all these grassroots talents. More than a contest, it’s a competition of modern artists from which we hope to be able to represent the country in the global stage.”

“We have the modest of beginnings around half a decade ago,” he recalled with a smile. “Slowly but surely, we have broaden our footprint not just in reaching people but in expanding our categories to stay relevant in today’s challenging and exciting world.”

Other judges were Ali Silao who in 2013 gave the country its first webby award for a short called “Gift Of Life,” Joel Santos, cofounder and president of Thames International that promotes potential workers in the creative arts, Jobert Monteras (certified instructor for Adobe and Blackmagic Design), and Vincent Aseo, an illustrator whose clients include Marvel, Fox, and Disney.

Rounding up the esteemed lineup were JM Matienzo, chairman and chief strategist of events and marketing firm Ariva Academy and Avel Bacudio, hailed as Asia’s most influential designer in the 2014 Mercedes Benz Stylo Asian Fashion Week.

Diokno, the wild card O

NE of the very few ethical principles the post-Marcos presidents seem to have adhered to until now is to at least try not to politicize the leadership of the BSP. That convention, however, would seem to have gone straight into the bin with President Rodrigo Duterte’s appointment of Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno as BSP Governor.

That was the first impression everyone had when Diokno’s appointment was announced — the news contributed to a significant dip in the stock market the same day — and it was a valid one. In explaining the appointment to the media, Mouth of Sauron Sal Panelo hardly tried to disguise the obvious, that Diokno was getting kicked upstairs to get him out of the way of the controversy he has become embroiled in with the House of Representatives.

That is in some ways understandable, given the nature of the dispute, which is fundamentally the result of legislative displeasure at the administration’s shift from obligation-based to cash-based budgeting. Under the latter, disbursed budget funds are more carefully controlled, and presumably less at risk of being attenuated by sticky-fingered lawmakers. Lawmakers like former Rep. Rolando

ROUGH TRADE BEN KRITZ Andaya Jr., for example, who in retaliation for Diokno’s Department of Budget and Management having put the budgetary feedbag out of reach, accused Diokno of making budget “insertions” to fund construction projects benefitting companies owned by friends and relatives.

That of course was the ultimate real-life example of the pot calling the kettle black; Andaya is currently facing 97 charges of graft and malversation of funds from his time as former president Gloria Arroyo’s budget secretary as part of the P900-million Malampaya fund scam. The Commission on Audit found that most projects funded by the gas royalties during Andaya’s term had deficiencies of one sort or another, meaning that potentially as much P38 billion of the fund was “misused.”

The fact that it was this sort of personality throwing shade at Diokno — whose couple of decades in government service have been noteworthy for their ethical cleanliness — was enough for most

people to ignore Rolando Andaya and his contrived scandal. But the annoying problem hasn’t entirely gone away, and the government still needs to get a budget past Congress, so pulling Diokno out of the line of fire was a practical response.

By definition, however, Duterte’s having bypassed five or six objectively more qualified candidates to give the job to Diokno does politicize the office of BSP governor, and potentially sets a bad precedent.

Diokno is a highly experienced economist and bureaucrat, but he is not a banker, and that is where the misgivings about his appointment lie. Monetary policy is but a fraction of the purview of the central bank chief. Most of his job entails the day-to-day oversight of a large, highly commercialized business sector in which he has no direct experience; in most other contexts that would be a recipe for disaster.

To his credit, Diokno has spent his first couple of days in the wheelhouse sending the right signals to allay those concerns. Speaking to reporters about monetary policy on Friday, Diokno stressed that while he thought there was room to loosen the BSP’s policy, any decision would be based on data, and would be the collective

judgment of the Monetary Board.

Fair enough, and one would have to assume that Diokno would take the same evidence- and consensusdriven approach to other areas of concern for the BSP. Diokno simply has not yet had enough time to try to demonstrate that he is the best candidate to have been chosen to head the BSP, but at this point, he has at least demonstrated he is a legitimate option. His task now is to focus fully on his job, and avoid the grasping booger-hooks of a Congress that is still bent because he took some of their slush money away. The task of the Duterte administration — one that should probably be assigned to someone with a little more authoritative presence than the walking comedy skit that is Sal Panelo — is to make sure its clearly politically motivated selection of Diokno doesn’t actually result in banking regulation and monetary policy becoming politically driven as well. The stability that has been built up over many years of careful management of the BSP is too valuable to lose to political volatility, and even the slightest sign that it is will provoke an outsized negative reaction in the markets and the wider economy.

ben.kritz@manilatimes.net

Three kinds of people I block on Facebook I

HAVE a very interesting Facebook news feed filled with various posts from my diverse virtual friends. As the election season commenced, I am bombarded with a deluge of highly political voices on Facebook that have already made enemies out of longtime friends.

But I do not unfriend those who fall on the opposite political spectrum from me. Nor do I block them. While it is convenient to immediately block those who oppose my own beliefs, I think, I’ll be living in a vacuum if I only allowed like-minded individuals to thrive in my surroundings.

While I disagree with a lot of their beliefs (and trust me there are many of those on my friends list), I’d like to keep the marketplace of ideas open.

But there are three kinds of people who truly get to my nerves and cause me to hit the block button faster than you can say, “Momo.”

Here are three unforgivable acts that do not go well with me:

The DDS They’re a brazen, self-entitled, petulant lot with very little sense of decorum or just plain common courtesy. I hate them with such passion that it blinds me sometimes from reason or logic. And as April 14 is fast approaching, I am dreading to go online lest I fume with rage over their latest post.

Let me go out and say it: I hate the DDS. And by DDS, I mean: Desperate, Deplorable Spoilers!

With the final season of “Game of Thrones” coming out next month, I’ll be making sure to unfriend all of them fast. What pleasure do these people derive from revealing details about a film or TV show?

And my, my do they get really defensive about it too. “ Eh ‘di ‘wag ka mag-online kung ayaw mo ng spoilers!”

Excuse me? Who gave you the idea that it’s okay to blurt out crucial parts of a movie or show just because you got to watch it first? And don’t blame us if we suddenly saw your post about it. Because like the many-face god, one can never know the true face of an asshole until it reveals itself.

And there are those who try to skirt around the spoiling of details through hashtags or really obvious emojis. Dear Virginia, you are still a DDS if you post: “Oh my god! #RedWedding #RIPRobbStark

THE DIGITAL NOMAD JOSEPH HOLANDES UBALDE (insert headless emoji)” BLOCKED.

The semantic sinners My teacher in high school used to tell us that for a sentence to be correct, it must satisfy the three basic levels of correctness: graphophonics, syntax and semantics.

While it is true that the sentence must sound correct and the words must be in proper order, of the three, semantics is the one that is least followed by many on Facebook.

Semantics pertain to the logic and meaning of the words. Do we just type faster than we think?

And I’m not just talking about the massacre of the English language here. Even Filipino is butchered on social media. Guys, what we put out on Facebook is a virtual representation of our own selves.

We ought to be careful.

Perhaps also, as a writer and editor, I just cannot undo this pet peeve. I cannot.

BLOCKED.

The flood likers What would compel an individual to like post after post of another person if not to passively-aggressively seek attention?

I hate flood likers, and I cannot express this enough.

Why don’t they just shoot a personal message? Or just shoot themselves? Flood liking to me is equivalent to someone tapping me on the shoulder 100 times. You know that at one point you are bound to punch that person in the face.

Please, stop the flood likes and get a life. BLOCKED. So there. Those are three utterly, deplorable behaviors on Facebook that I cannot tolerate.

Oh, and just a note to the unlucky lot: If I block you on Facebook and we bump into each other in public, the block still applies.

Joseph Ubalde is a digital content expert and social media strategist who has worked for various local and global companies. “The Digital Nomad” is the first and only column dedicated to social media in the Philippines. If you have comments or want to connect with him, send an email to markjubalde@gmail.com.

The real state of internet speed and coverage in PH T

HE Philippines’ wireless internet service has improved quite impressively, according to a recent report

by OpenSignal.

As one of the world’s biggest consumers of data, this comes as a breath of fresh air from an “independent global standard for analyzing consumer mobile experience.”

OpenSignal’s reports are said to be “the definitive guide to understanding the true experience consumers receive on wireless networks.”

Late last year, we reported t h a t i n t e r n e t s p e e d s h ave improved, with Smart registering speed records at par with some US carriers. For

TAP, SWIPE, SCROLL KAYE VILLAGOMEZ the latest round of results released a couple of days ago, OpenSignal posted highlights of the good news that should benefit Filipinos who spend an average of 10 hours per day on video streaming and social media.

“The future of the consumer mobile experience in the Philippines looks positive. Though mobile broadband speeds have traditionally been slow and access to 4G services limit-

ed in the country, OpenSignal has tracked improvements in both areas in our most recent data. 4G availability has increased dramatically for both major operators in the last two years, as Globe and Smart users can now find an LTE connection more than 70 percent of the time. Meanwhile, growth in download speeds has been slower, but it is nonetheless improving, driven by the Philippines’ greater 4G reach,” read the report.

“Smart’s gains were particularly impressive. It won four of OpenSignal’s awards outright and tied with Globe for the fifth. It’s already established considerable distance from

Globe in our Download Speed, Upload Speed and Video Experience metrics, and it’s now threatening to surpass Globe in 4G availability,” added the findings based on 270,433 devices and 933,210,079 total measurements gathered from Nov. 1, 2018 to Jan. 29, 2019.

For those who rely on mobile internet for video streaming requirements, the OpenSignal report stated that, “Smart has established a big lead in video experience. One of the starkest contrasts in our analysis was the difference in Video Experience offered by the two nationwide operators.

Smart landed in a category above in our Video Experi-

ence scale earning a Fair rating compared to Globe’s Poor rating. Smart users are clearly enjoying better overall video quality, with faster loading times and fewer interruptions during playback, according to our analysis.”

When it comes to 4G availability, both networks reached around 70 percent in coverage: “While 4G availability is at an all-time high nationwide, we see even more impressive scores in the Philippines’ three largest cities. In Manila and Davao both operators had 4G availability scores in excess of 80 percent, while in Cebu, Smart had the highest individual 4G availability score

in the three markets at 84.1 percent,” added the report.

If you’re still having problems with your streaming speeds, you might want to check the following: You have LTE access in your area, you are using a 4G-capable device and your sim is LTE-ready.

For all you know, you might be complaining about snail speeds because you missed out on one of these factors.

The author is a former broadsheet entertainment and lifestyle reporter and section editor for an entertainment magazine before crossing over to corporate and marketing PR.

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Sunday Business & I.T.

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Wearables top 59.3M units in Q4 T

HE worldwide market for wearable devices grew 31.4 percent during the fourth quarter of 2018, reaching a new high of 59.3 million units, according to the latest data from research firm IDC.

Growth in the market was driven by new wearables launching during the months leading up to the holiday season, as well as new smartphone launches, as many were bundled with wearables from leading brands.

Shipments for the entire year of 2018 grew by 27.5 percent, with 172.2 million wearables shipped. Much of this growth was attributed to the growing number of ear-worn devices, as they captured almost a quarter of the market during the year.

In keeping up with current trends, IDC has recently revised its taxonomy for ear-worn devices to now include wireless headphones capable of enabling smart assistants at the touch of a button or through hot-word detection. Examples of such headphones include Apple’s

AirPods, Google’s Pixel Buds, Bose’s QC35II and more.

Among the various form factors available during the quarter, smartwatches grew 55.2 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2017 and accounted for 34.3 percent of the overall market during the quarter.

Meanwhile, wrist bands accounted for 30 percent of the market as recent launches from Xiaomi, Huawei and Fitbit continued to drive the category forward. Ear-worn devices grew 66.4 percent and captured 21.9 percent of the market.

“The market for ear-worn wearables has grown substantially this past year and we expect this to continue in the years to come,” said Jitesh Ubrani, senior research analyst for IDC Mobile Device Trackers.

“It is the next battleground for companies as these types of

headphones become a necessity for many given the exclusion of headphone jacks from modern devices. Add to that the rise of smart assistants and in-ear biometrics and companies have the perfect formula to sell consumers on a device that’s complimentary to the device ecosystem that lives on their wrist and in their pocket.”

“Smartwatches, meanwhile, grew 54.3 percent and accounted for 29.8 percent of all wearable device shipments in 2018,” said Ramon Llamas, research director for IDC’s Wearables.

“Apple accounted for nearly half the market and followed by a long list of companies that posted double- and triple-digit growth.

What resulted from this was a growing list of devices available at multiple price-points to meet the

needs of a diverse market.”

Company highlights Apple maintained the number 1 position with 16.2 million devices shipped in the fourth quarter of 2018, 10.4 million of which were Apple Watches. The Series 4 has been off to a very strong start and IDC anticipates this to continue as more healthcare organizations and consumers adopt the latest device. The remainder of Apple’s shipments were comprised of AirPods and Beats headphones in the ear-worn category.

Xiaomi captured the second position among the top 5 with 12.6 percent share. The company’s products remain strong in its home country of China. However, recent investments in Europe and other

Asian countries have paid off and helped cement Xiaomi’s name as a competitive force. Xiaomi’s Mi Band 3 alone accounted for over 30 percent of all wristbands shipped during the quarter.

Huawei had a great quarter in the wearables and smartphone markets. Within smartphones, the company grew 43 percent during the quarter in an otherwise declining market and this translated to a staggering 248.5 percent growth in the wearables market since many of the Huawei and Honor phones were bundled with wearables. New product launches such as the Watch GT, FreeBuds 2 Pro and a few others also helped the company gain traction.

Fitbit finally returned to growth during the holiday season as the new Charge 3, combined with promotional activity on other

popular devices such as the Versa, helped the company to claw back some of its market share. The company’s outlook remains strong as investments in the healthcare segment continue to pay off. In the US, Fitbit has managed to partner with providers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare and others, allowing for further proliferation of its devices and services.

Ro u n d i n g o u t t h e t o p 5 was Samsung with 4 million units shipped during the quarter.

Similar to Huawei and Xiaomi, Samsung was also able to bundle many of its wearables with smartphones. The newly launched Galaxy Watch was quite well received although older models such as the Gear S3 still managed to capture a notable share of Samsung’s overall shipments.

Microsoft appoints TICKET2ME RAISES SEED FUNDING new GM for PH AFTER being vacant for quite some time, Microsoft has finally appointed a new country general manager for the its Philippine office.

Microsoft Philippines is now under the management of Andrés Ortola, who will work closely with partners to help businesses realize their vision of digital transformation.

Prior to this appointment, Ortola led the enterprise commercial business for Singapore, where his leadership and focus on transforming the business delivered unprecedented value for Microsoft customers and partners.

Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ortola has 20 years of experience in the information technology industry and has held various regional leadership positions in consulting, sales management, marketing and business management. His previous experiences include regional roles at Microsoft, Quest Software, IBM and as a co-founder for entrepreneurial projects.

“I believe [the] Philippines is on the cusp of greatness. As we all know, the economy is among the fastest growing in Asia Pacific and our customers are hungry for transformation, said Ortola. “I’m looking forward to working with our team to deliver a strong and consistent agenda that contributes to the digitalization of the Philip-

T

HE race to be the first 5Genabled nation is heating up. In the US, Verizon and AT&T have gained a small lead over their competitors, having already introduced commercial 5G services in selected cities. In the Philippines, telecommunications giants PLDT and Globe are massing their resources to start offering 5G capabilities by the second half of this year. PLDT may be on a hotter streak when it unveiled a 5G cell site in Clark Freeport Zone in November 2018.

Slowly gaining traction is the superfast and lower latency access of 5G systems that will bring about the full realization of the Internet of Things (IoT), with its promise of self-driving vehicles, remote surgery, smart cities and new home internet features. Fi-

PHILIPPINE blockchain-enabled ticketing startup Ticket2Me announced recently that it has secured a $350,000 seed funding from Singapore-based Citystate Group Pte. Ltd. With the funding, Ticket2Me is set to implement its expansion plan not only in major cities outside Metro Manila and Metro Cebu but also to establish operations in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

It established a regional office in Singapore in 2018.

“Citystate’s investment in Ticket2Me is not just a vote of confidence in the excellent execution and product-market fit we’ve demonstrated since going live in

n Andrés Ortola pines economy, transforms our key industries and has a strong positive societal impact.”

Ortola will report to Andrea Della Mattea, president of Microsoft Asia Pacific.

“I’m thrilled to have Ortola lead one of our most dynamic, exciting and vibrant markets in Asia Pacific. His expertise and experience in creating growth opportunities and leading teams will be integral to support our customers and partners in the Philippines,” said Mattea.

Ortola has extensive global experience and has called South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa; and, most recently, Asia as home. He is a sports fan and particularly enjoys watching, coaching and playing rugby.

His free time is spent exploring the world with his family.

May 2018,” said Ticket2Me founder and Chief Executive Darwin Mariano.”It’s also a continuing challenge for us, that we keep delivering value for both event organizers and ticket buyers in the Philippines and very soon, in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

We’re absolutely convinced that event organizers and ticket buyers in the region are both hungry and ready for event ticketing innovation and Ticket2Me will be there to help them.”

Citystate Group Pte. Ltd. has over 30 years’ expertise in business and lifestyle travel, food and beverage, restaurant management, property development and

management, education, and general insurance underwriting and brokering. The group currently consists of 55 subsidiaries and operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, India, and with the Ticket2Me investment, will operate in the Philippines, as well.

“Citystate Group recognizes that there is great market potential for a ticketing platform with regional ambitions and the flexibility to serve local communities for all their venue and event ticketing needs,” said Citystate Group Pte. Ltd. Director Julie Haw. Ticket2Me is Southeast Asia’s first blockchain-enabled ticketing

platform. The nine-month old platform can be accessed via the website, mobile site, and the iOS and Android apps. To date, Ticket2Me has already hosted over 1,300 live events, accessed by over 11,000 unique users, and has sold more than 29,000 tickets. Ticket2Me is the Philippines’ first fully digital ticketing and event technology solution with more than 9,000 payment outlets, making it the most convenient and most accessible ticketing platform in the country.

Ticket2Me is also planning a public sale of blockchain-based tokens that ticket buyers and event organizers can use on the platform for 2019.

n (From left) Darwin Mariano, founder and chief executive of Ticket2Me; Tze Wen Leow, group managing director of Citystate Group Pte. Ltd.; and Julie Haw, director of Citystate Group Pte. Ltd.

A dark side of 5G wireless technology TECH SPACE TONY MAGHIRANG nally, maximum convenience will be at the tip of your finger.

But here’s the rub. Innovation, especially one being described as a “paradigm shift,” has its inherent challenges. In the case of mobile technology, the foremost issue is the range of potential health risks of radiation emanating from transmission towers and the attendant devices.

Greater attention to the possible harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMF) has been made as early as the 2G generation but the call for pre-implementation research studies at that time fell

on deaf ears. In the coming 5G era, large amounts of data will have to be transmitted across the network at a fast clip and this requires more new antennas to be installed in closer proximity to each other by the order of one tower for every seven to eight houses. This means that with 5G, people particularly those in densely populated urban areas will be at a more immediate risk of direct radiation exposure on top of those coming from 2G, 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi. It is even claimed that other mammals and insects in the surrounding environment are likely to be adversely affected too.

One of the direct ill effects being mentioned is that the heat generated by the towers may lead to skin problems. Then again, long-term constant exposure to heat radiation could potentially compromise the other

sensitive organs of the body and an in-depth study prior to 5G implementation should provide a better understanding of the ramifications of this quantum jump in wireless technology.

That the potential health risks will be imminent with 5G infrastructure alarmed more than 180 scientists and doctors from 36 countries to ask for an independent task force to reassess the dangers of what they foresee as the “massive increase of involuntary exposure to electromagnetic radiation” from 5G. The appeal issued in September 2017 recommended a moratorium on the roll-out of 5G, pending the full investigation of its potential hazards to human health and the environment by independent nonindustry affiliated scientists.

At a hearing on the future

of 5G wireless technology last February 7, US senator Richard Blumenthal raised concerns that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), vital government agencies responsible for safe use of cellphone technologies, have no scientific data or research on the potential health risks of 5G. Senator Blumenthal was looking for a rational and realistic assessment in place of the superficial references on the FDA web site.

In a separate development, the FCC has paved the way to intensify the adoption of 5G technology in the US. The commission voted to simplify the deployment of small cell infrastructure to fast-track the build-up in network density preparatory to 5G commercialization.

The Department of Information

and Communication Technology made a similar announcement when on January 16, Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio said that the duration of securing the necessary permits to construct towers has been reduced from eight months to just seven working days in keeping with the Ease of Doing Business Act. Rio added that 50,000 more towers have to be operational not only to improve the delivery of services and coverage but also to establish the groundwork for the adoption of 5G technology in the country.

There are other issues with respect to 5G, some of them major ones but none bigger than the health concerns. There’s time to weigh the pros and cons. Let’s not recklessly believe the hype.

Editor: Jing Garcia

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SUNDAY March 10, 2019

Sunday Business & I.T.

OPPO A7 3GB variant now in PH

A

tures.

TRULY high-end smartphone that is the best among others of the same range, OPPO A7 3G packs many premium fea-

With the OPPO A7 3GB, you can enjoy the same specs and features of the OPPO A7 4GB at just P10,990. Undoubtedly providing customers value for money, the OPPO A7 doubles down on the two important features that customers value most — premium cameras with its 13+2megapixel (MP) dual rear camera and 16MP front camera, and 4230mAh huge battery. On top of that, the OPPO A7 3G also comes in both beautiful color options — Glaring Gold and Glaze Blue that are eye-catching, yet classy and subtle, fitting every personality.

While the unique waterdrop screen has been widely accepted as the most beautiful notch type smartphone in the market. The tiny water drop contains a 16MP front camera and sensors that make A7 the phone with the highest screen-to-body ratio in the OPPO A series. With the 6.2-inch HD+ Incell Screen, the screen-to-body ratio of A7 is 88.4 percent, providing an immersive user experience.

Another much-loved feature of the OPPO A7 is its 13+2MP dual rear cameras plus AI Beautification. The front camera is enhanced to 16MP with F2.0 aperture, which makes for more outstanding selfies. Moreover, A7 uses a wide-angle front camera, which can contain more scenes when taking

photos, especially group photos in a narrow space.

The OPPO A7 3GB also boasts of its 4320mAh battery. It frees you from the concern of battery drain during your day. Smart and thoughtful AI battery manage-

ment freezes inactive apps and reduces excess caching to save more power.

And last but not the least, based on Android 8.1, OPPO brings the ColorOS 5.2 Operating System to a new level w i t h a n ove r a l l smarter interactive experience for users.

Through the powerful “Smart Bar”, A7 not only supports horizontal “full screen multitasking,” but also supports vertical full screen multitasking. The Smart Bar can be triggered by sliding at both sides. In addition to the existing functions of full screen multitasking, Smart Bar also supports quick file sharing, screen recording, screenshots, and many other shortcuts.

The OPPO A7 3GB offers you the best smartphone choice in under the P10,000 segment. Offering you the same powerful features of the OPPO A7 4GB, it will surely provide the elevated smartphone experience you deserve.

Customers can get their very own OPPO A7 3G in OPPO stores and authorized dealers nationwide.

2019: The year of solutions for data privacy DEPARTMENT of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. will introduce the National ICT Ecosystem Framework (Nictef) at the 1*DATA Privacy and Security Solutions Day on March 20 at the Makati Shangri-La hotel. Nictef is a newly-minted technology direction for the DICT which will serve as the major blueprint on the future direction of the department for its initiatives.

1*DATA brings together data privacy and security thought leaders and influencers in government, private sector and professional associations. It is organized by the National Association of Data Protection Officers of the Philippines (Nadpop), which is the first home-grown association of privacy professionals in the country. 1*DATA will be held at the Makati Shangri-La hotel on March 20 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“Nadpop members know that in order for them to handle the responsibilities in managing personal information in their respective organizations, they will need the help of world-class solutions providers,” said Sam Jacoba, Nadpop founding president and 1*DATA conference chair.

“We also wish to inspire them to become world class privacy and security professionals which is the foundation in strengthen-

ing our country’s data privacy ecosystem.”

Former National Privacy Commission (NPC) deputy commissioner and Nictef consultant Dondi Mapa will reinforce this through a presentation on a Solutions Framework for Data Privacy and Security. UN consultant Dr. Emmanuel Lallana will then unveil a Competencies Framework for DPOs, which will help Nadpop to develop initiatives that will help their membership to become worldclass privacy and security professionals.

Henry Aguda, Unionbank chief technology and operations officer, chief transformation officer, and UBX chairman of the board will further highlight the importance of deploying world class solutions with his talk on the Tech of Security, which is part of a bigger discussion on The Science.

Art and Tech of Data, Privacy and Security during the Plenary.

1*DATA will also see industry associations like the Infocomm Technology Association of the Philippines (ITAP) and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) share the State of Data Privacy in their respective industries and professions. ITAP will be represented by its president Carlo Subido, while the IBP will be represented

by Atty. Boyet Medina who is their DPO.

The Sunday Times

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Samsung Galaxy Buds now available IN black and in white, the new Samsung Galaxy Buds are now available for users to enjoy clear and smart audio powered by acoustic specialists AKG, delivering rich and high-resolution live sound. This results in a crisp user experience without any of the unnecessary background noise.

Apart from premium acoustics, the Galaxy Buds make talk time easier through its speech enhancement feature and its Adaptive Dual Microphone technology to switch between inner and outer mics. Its Quick Ambient Mode allows sounds from the environment to stream in without removing the device.

The new Samsung Galaxy Buds are ergonomically de-

signed using advanced and lightweight materials to ensure a comfortable and snug fit all day. It lets users play music for up to six hours and talk on the phone for up to five hours on a single charge. The buds can be charged wirelessly or be powered by a Galaxy S10 smartphone through the Wireless PowerShare technology.

Price at P6,990, the Galaxy Buds seamlessly connect to any Galaxy device in an instant via Bluetooth. Users can switch between any screen and wearable in a matter of seconds so they don’t miss any of the action. When not in use, its slim and compact design makes it convenient to store in a pocket or bag.

Ruckus Cloud Wi-Fi simplifies enterprise RUCKUS Networks, an ARRIS company, today announced that Ruckus Cloud Wi-Fi, a cloud-managed Enterprise Wi-Fi solution is available in the Asia Pacific region, including the Philippines.

Ruckus Cloud Wi-Fi allows network administrators to manage multiple locations through a single web- or mobile app-based dashboard. The solution is designed to help “Lean IT” staff at schools, retail, professional services, warehouses, and hotels easily deploy and manage a multisite network while delivering exceptional connectivity for students, guests, and customers. Ruckus Cloud Wi-Fi also helps organizations lower their total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to other solutions by combining cloud efficiency with highperformance access points (APs) that serve more users over a wider area.

The Ruckus Cloud Wi-Fi solution offers short videos to learn about its new features, and a network to auto-update and remain secure, informing them through text messages and push notifications via a mobile app of any outages.

Designed for both simplicity and ease of scaling, Ruckus Cloud WiFi allows businesses of all sizes to deploy and remotely manage Wi-Fi networks across multiple sites. With a single interface to create new Wi-Fi networks, add access points, and monitor network performance

and activity, the solution allows administrators to manage from anywhere using an intuitive, webbased interface or the Ruckus Cloud mobile app.

“As organizations in the Asia Pacific region undergo digital transformation, reliable and highperformance Wi-Fi are a must to accelerate growth and improve operational efficiencies,” said Kho Teck Meng, regional sales director, Asean, Ruckus Networks. “By using the same enterprise-grade technology present in all of our installations, customers now have access to a combination of simplicity and performance that wasn’t previously available. We look forward to helping our partners across the region drive greater value for their customers with a solution that is easy to deploy and manage.”

“Ruckus Cloud Wi-Fi is the first foundational service, of many SaaS offerings, we will deliver soon,” said Phal Nanda, business leader and senior director, PLM, Ruckus Cloud platform. “Built on the latest microservices-based architecture, Ruckus Cloud is highly scalable, secure and API-driven to enable innovative applications to be delivered to Ruckus technology partners. This will bring more value to our customers and partners and differentiate the solution in the market.”

Ruckus Cloud Wi-Fi is now available in the Asia Pacific region.

Empowering Filipino women in the digital age

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OMEN would rather empower themselves than wait for opportunities to open their doors. My children were in college when I realized I wanted to get back to the corporate world or research projects like I used to do. While scanning the classified ads in 2003, I read not over 30 years old... or not over 40 years old. How discouraging. Call center companies provided job opportunities for any age group along with other qualifications, but spending graveyard shifts was out of the question.

Blogging in 2006 opened doors for income opportunities in freelance writing, consultancy and as a resource person on digital parenting or citizenship. Imagine if the internet was available in the mid-eighties, I would have been a Work at Home Mom (WAHM) doing remote work. Most of my mommy friends discovered online work or gainful employment because of blogging.

LET’S TALK #SOCIAL NOEMI LARDIZABAL-DADO More women with internet access and a computer, work from home or own online businesses that provide services. Virtual assistant, content writer, social media/community manager, web designer and developer, graphic artist/ designer, app developer, English tutor, digital marketing strategist, search engine optimization (SEO) specialist, voice talent and transcriber are just some options open to anyone. The WAHM benefit the most because of flexible work schedules. My friend who provides content for a lifestyle blog loves the flexibility of her work.

She adds, “I can choose to work when I want to and where I want to. My work fits into my sense of work-life balance, and not the other way around.”

A study from YouGov research

reveals 4 out of 5 women would like to set up their own business.

If just 60 percent of these women felt empowered to start a business, it would have a huge impact on the economy. Women entrepreneurs are selling on online platforms such as Facebook, Lazada, eBay or Shopee. I spoke to some women who sell online right in the comfort of their own homes. Ms. Maria Rowena Pimentel, began her run at entrepreneurship 13 years ago.

Despite managing business operations on a full-time basis, Rowena had the luxury of being a full-time mom. She left her original workplace to sell gadgets like digital cameras through the popular auction platform. “I can guide and teach my children and be with them anytime they want while still earning and even receiving higher than what I’ve been getting when I was still working,” she added.

Gina Romero of Connected Women (connectedwomen. org) says 5 million women in the Philippines are not working because of family reasons. There

is a huge potential to empower women who have online access.

Connected Women provides training and jobs to qualified women in the Philippines struggling to find meaningful career opportunities due to lack of formal education, location or family commitments.

Opportunities in technology await women leading to employment or entrepreneurship.

Virtual assistants (VAs) or writing services: The standards for Virtual assistants and writing services require high precision and skills.

Businesses like Connected Women match women entrepreneurs with VAs. Online websites like thevahandbook.com provide resources on how to be a virtual assistant or start a VA business.

Cheekie Albay left the hectic world of lifestyle publishing in Manila to be a hands-on single parent to her son in Davao City. She found her way back to her first love — writing, after many career failures. If you consider freelance writing, know of your rights and acceptable fees. The Freelance

Writers Philippines Facebook group, the discussion group of the organization Freelance Writers’ Guild of the Philippines (FWGP) is a venue to exchange views on issues concerning the Filipino freelance writer.

Digital marketing: Connected Women’s WE-Train, WE-Match is a nationwide initiative intended to empower Filipino women and online freelancers with relevant technology skills to help them grow their businesses or get online work. Facebook provides the modules of learning through their #SheMeansBusiness program and rolled out across Tech4Ed centers nationwide.

The Connected Women and Department of Information and Communications Technology Tech4ED Project also empower women and online freelancers by providing learning resources to help them gain skills for business and online projects.

Online small and medium enterprises (SME): If one does not have the skills in technology,

an online Asean SME academy (asean-sme-academy. org), provides online access to training and resources developed and tailored to reach the needs of Small and Medium Enterprises operating in Asean. There are courses for startup, ready to export and growing enterprises. Course types are into finance/accounting, human resources, marketing, management, operations, technology, and trade /logistics.

Not all Filipinos are connected to the internet. Penetration rate stands at 71 percent based on the 2019 Philippine statistics from We Are Social. The digital divide is closing, but right now we need to close the divide between the digitally skilled and unskilled. The Asean ICT Masterplan of 2020, brings Asean toward a digital-enabled economy and women need to prepare themselves with the knowledge to work at home.

World

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SUNDAY March 10, 2019

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TRUMP SEEKS BUDGET FOR WALL, SPACE FORCE WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump will be making a significant request for border wall funds and seeking money to stand up Space Force as a new branch of the military in the White House budget being released next week, an administration official said Friday.

For the first time, Trump plans to stick with the strict spending caps imposed years ago, even though lawmakers have largely avoided them with new budget deals. That will likely trigger a showdown with Congress.

The official said the president’s plan promises

Jury indicts ‘Empire’ actor

CHICAGO: A grand jury in Chicago indicted “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett on 16 felony counts related to making a false report that he was attacked by two men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs.

The Cook County grand jury indictment dated Thursday (Friday in Manila) and made public on Friday gives details of the disorderly conduct charge against Smollett. It elaborates on the allegation that he falsely reported he was attacked on January 29 by two masked men who hurled racial and homophobic slurs at the black and openly gay actor, beat him, threw an unidentified liquid chemical on him and looped a rope tied like a noose around his neck.

The indictment — eight counts from what he told the officer who responded to the report of the attack and eight for what he later told a detective — comes a little more than two weeks after prosecutors announced one felony count of the same charge.

Chicago police initially investigated the incident as a possible hate crime but later said Smollett staged the attack, recruiting two brothers to carry it out, because he was unhappy with his pay on the Fox show.

An attorney for Smollett, Mark Geragos, called the indictment “prosecutorial overkill.” He said Smollett “adamantly maintains his innocence.”

“This redundant and vindictive indictment is nothing more than a desperate attempt to make headlines in order to distract from the internal investigation launched to investigate the outrageous leaking of false information by the Chicago Police Department,” Geragos said. AFP

to balance the budget in 15 years.

Trump will seek $750 billion for defense, a boost for the military, while cutting nondefense discretionary spending by 5 percent, said the official, who was unauthorized to discuss the document ahead of its release and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Budgets are mainly seen as blueprints for White House priorities. But they are often panned on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers craft the appropriation bills that eventually fund the government, if the president signs them into law.

Trump’s budget for the 2020 fiscal year will

increase requests for some agencies while reducing others to reflect those priorities. Reductions are proposed, for example, for the Environmental Protection Agency.

The official said Congress has ignored the president’s spending cuts for too long. The federal budget is bloated with wasteful spending, the official said, and the administration remains committed to balancing the budget.

The cuts being requested by the White House would hit discretionary spending as well as some mandatory safety net programs, which Trump has

proposed in the past. Many Republicans are often eager to reduce government spending, but Congress has had trouble passing bills that seriously slash the safety net programs used by many Americans.

Budgets often rely on various accounting measures to achieve desired results. This one, for example, counts $546 billion in defense money as a base, but another $174 billion in another account to keep within caps.

And while the budget will suggest it balances in future years, it is also expected to rely on projections for continued economic growth from the tax cuts

Trump signed into law in 2017. But there’s no guarantee that would cover the lost tax revenues.

By proposing spending levels that don’t raise the budget caps, the president is courting a debate with Congress. Lawmakers from both parties have routinely agreed to raise spending caps established by a previous deal years ago to fund the government.

Trump, though, has tried to resist those deals. He threatened to veto the last one reached in 2017 to prevent a shutdown. Late last year, a fight over border wall funds sparked the 35-day shutdown that spilled into this year and became the longest in history. AP

Trump-Kim ties remain good W ASHINGTON, D. C.: US President Donald Trump said Friday (Saturday in Manila) his relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un “remains good,” despite the failure of a summit last week between the two leaders.

North Korea’s state media had earlier acknowledged for the first time the collapse of the high-stakes Hanoi summit, which ended without any agreement on reducing Pyongyang’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

“I have a feeling that our relationship with North Korea, Kim Jong Un and myself, I think it is a very good one. I think it remains good,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

The meeting was supposed to build on the leaders’ historic first

meeting in Singapore last year.

Trump repeated his frequent claim that he had brought the US back from the brink of war with North Korea since coming to office.

“This was a disaster. I inherited a mess. It is straightening out a lot. We are doing very well there,” he said.

“I inherited a mess with North Korea and right now you have no (missile) testing. You have no nothing.”

Following the stalemate in Hanoi, researchers said this week that

Pyongyang had started rebuilding the Sohae long-range rocket site after Kim had agreed last year to shut it as part of confidence-building measures.

“I would be surprised in a negative way if (Kim) did anything that was not per our understanding. But we’ll see what happens,” Trump added.

Trump’s remarks, which came as he was departing the White House to visit tornado-hit Alabama, also touched on the fractious US-China trade relationship, domestic politics and the Mueller investigation into possible Trump campaign collusion with Russia.

Asked about the months-long trade war with China, the president said he would not agree to any solution unless it was a good deal for the United States.

“I am confident but... if this isn’t

a great deal, I won’t make a deal,” Trump told reporters.

US and Chinese officials have said they are making progress toward a resolution, but a US diplomat in Beijing said earlier an agreement was not imminent.

Negotiations were extended through Sunday as officials race to reach a deal ahead of a deadline next week when US duty rates are due to rise sharply.

Trump’s remarks came a day after his former campaign chief Paul Manafort was sentenced to nearly four years in prison by a federal judge for tax crimes and bank fraud in the highest profile case yet stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

“I feel very badly for Paul Manafort. I think it has been a very tough time for him,” Trump said.

Ex-US Army intel analyst jailed

US town elects SUPER FLOWERS goat as mayor Brazilian president to visit China this year

A woman sits in a field of wildflowers in bloom near Borrego Springs, California. Two years after steady rains sparked seeds dormant for decades under the desert floor to burst open and produce a spectacular display dubbed the ‘super bloom,’ another winter soaking this year is shaping up to be possibly even better. AP PHOTO

IN a divided America where politics seems increasingly to get people’s goat, a small town in Vermont has taken the concept to heart — this week electing one as mayor.

He may be a political novice but the goat’s name, Lincoln, brings with it a storied pedigree.

And the leading human official in Fair Haven — population about 2,500 — hopes the long-eared, three-year-old animal’s election can serve as a bit of a lesson in democracy.

In Tuesday’s poll, Lincoln was victorious over 15 other candidates, including Crystal the gerbil and many dogs and cats.

Fair Haven has no official mayor but the Town Manager, Joseph Gunter, holds similar functions.

When Gunter read in a newspaper that the village of Omena, Michigan, had made Sweet Tart the cat its “top” official, he got the idea to organize a similar election to raise funds for building a playground.

Lincoln’s 13 votes were enough for him to squeak past Sammie the dog.

The goat, which belongs to a school math teacher, will get an education in the town’s major festivals which it will represent during its one-year mandate: “Memorial Day parade, the Apple Fest and the events we organize every Friday in the summer,” Gunter says. AFP

The Republican president also weighed in on the row engulfing the Democrats over anti-Semitism which has led to the party’s biggest crisis since reclaiming the House majority two months ago.

The party passed a resolution against bigotry following an acrimonious debate over how to reprimand Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar, who sparked a firestorm over repeated criticisms of Israel and a powerful pro-Israel lobby in Washington that exerts influence in US politics.

“The Democrats have become an anti-Israel party and an anti-Jewish party,” Trump said.

The president was due to visit victims of last weekend’s tornado that devastated Lee County in eastern Alabama last weekend, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozens.

AFP

BRASÍLIA: Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said Friday (Saturday in Manila) he would visit China this year, indicating he was more open to a country he once accused of being an economic predator trying to “buy” Brazil.

“I confirmed with the ambassador

that I will travel to China this year,” the far-right leader told reporters after a meeting in Brasilia with China’s ambassador Yang Wanming.

“We want to approach the whole world, develop our trade, open our borders,” said Bolsonaro.

State news agency Agencia Brasil

Worldinbrief TRUMP ADVISER, UN COUNCIL MEET OVER ISRAEL PEACE PLAN

UNITED NATIONS, United States: President Donald Trump’s Middle East adviser Jason Greenblatt met with the UN Security Council on Friday but gave no details of a much-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, diplomats said. “There were no details,” Kuwaiti Ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi told reporters after the closed-door meeting. “There was a discussion from our side about the plan.” The plan is expected to be released after the Israeli elections in April, but the Palestinians have already rejected it as biased in favor of Israel. The Palestinians have refused to talk to the Trump administration since the US president recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017. They see the eastern part of the disputed city as the capital of their future state and have said Washington’s pro-Israel bias meant the US could no longer be the main mediator in stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace talks.

AFP

WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR QUITS

WASHINGTON, D. C.: Bill Shine, a former Fox News executive who took over as President Donald Trump’s communications director last summer, exited the White House on Friday (Satur-

later said the trip would take place in the second half of the year, without specifying a date.

Yang said China’s President Xi Jinping would visit Brazil for a summit of Brics countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — a date for which has yet

to be agreed.

China is Brazil’s main trading partner and represented 27.8 percent of its exports in 2018.

During his election campaign, Bolsonaro said he wanted China to buy “in Brazil” but AFP not “buy Brazil.”

day in Manila), the latest person to step away from a job that has become a revolving door within the turbulent West Wing.

Shine will join the president’s Republican reelection campaign, the White House said in a laudatory statement that quoted Trump and other top White House officials. When Shine joined the administration, he was viewed as an experienced hand whose television experience could help shape Trump’s message.

But like others before him, Shine was forced to grapple with a president who preferred to run his own communications strategy via tweet. In recent weeks, Trump had expressed frustration that Shine had not done more to improve his press coverage, said two people close to the president who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

AP

USAF SECRETARY RESIGNING

WASHINGTON, D. C.: Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, once seen as a candidate to succeed Jim Mattis as defense secretary, said Friday she was resigning to become president of the University of Texas at El Paso. A former US House Republican member from New Mexico and graduate of the US Air Force Academy, Wilson has headed the Air Force since May 2017, making her President Donald Trump’s first Senate-confirmed service secretary. She had been an early skeptic of Trump’s interest in creating a Space Force as an independent military department, but she publicly embraced the

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia: Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who served years in prison for leaking one of the largest troves of classified documents in US history, was sent to jail Friday (Saturday in Manila) for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks.

US District Judge Claude Hilton ordered Manning to jail for civil contempt of court after a brief hearing in federal court in Alexandria in which Manning confirmed she has no intention of testifying.

She told the judge she “will accept whatever you bring upon me.”

Manning has said she objects to the secrecy of the grand jury process and already revealed everything she knows at her court-martial. She said prosecutors have granted her immunity for her testimony, which eliminates her ability to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

“I will not participate in a secret process that I morally object to, particularly one that has been used to entrap and persecute activists for protected political speech,” she said in a statement released after she was taken into custody.

The judge said she would remain jailed until she testifies or until the grand jury concludes its work. AP

administration’s proposal to Congress last month that would establish a Space Force as a separate service within the Department of the Air Force. Trump praised Wilson on Twitter Friday. “A strong thank you to Heather for her service,” he wrote. Wilson also had been mentioned as a potential successor to Mattis.

AP

AMERICAN WINS TRANSGENDER PAGEANT IN THAILAND

PATTAYA, Thailand: American contestant Jazell Barbie Royale was crowned “Miss International Queen” in Thailand on Friday at a beauty pageant for transgender women, becoming the first person of colour to win the competition since it started in 2004. Royale buried her face in her hands, spread her arms in victory and welled up with tears when news of the victory was announced in the seaside city of Pattaya. The community leader and HIV activist edged out 19 other candidates from around the world including Brazil, Peru and several Asian countries. She said she hoped her triumph inspired other people of colour around the world who might say “if she can do it, I’m coming to Miss International Queen next year and I’m going to compete.” Hailing from Florida, Royale said she wanted to use her newfound platform to educate others about the importance of HIV testing, safe sex and medical care. “There are a lot of living with HIV but don’t go to get treatment,” she said.

AFP

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Special Feature

The Sunday Times

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Call for a paradigm shift Boosting cooperativism in all sectors for sustainable economic growth

n CDA officials, officers and employees strictly confirm to the CDA Quality Policy and Performance Pledge with the goal of improving service delivery in the name of transparency, accountability and quality service.

BY MAYLENE STEPHANIE S. VIRAY

I

N the light of threats to agriculture such as the ill-effects of climate change, not to mention poverty in general, cooperativism has been deemed as a strong solution to most of the country’s woes.

Today, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) celebrates its 29th founding anniversary with the theme “Forging strategic alliances for cooperative development.”

On its 29th year, CDA strengthens its presence across all sectors to reiterate its battle cry: Transformative Cooperative for People, Planet, Prosperity, and Peace.

CDA Chairman Orlando Ravanera calls on all Filipinos to adopt a cooperative power where “no one shall be left behind,” as he puts it.

“Sustainable future would mean a new mindset, there will be a paradigm shift from one that is so exclusive growth to one that is inclusive,” Ravanera adds. “Cooperativism is paradigm shift from unsustainable to sustainable development, from unsustainable future to sustainable future. It will begin with the mind-setting.”

Sustainability practices The Philippines, as an agricultural country, should be the leading beneficiary of land and crops. Ravanera, however, says the situation of agriculture in the country is a paradox anchored as it is on a capitalistic mindset and the presence of middlemen.

“The present development paradigm is now crashing down,” Ravanera says, referring to capitalism as he points out that only one percent of the global population is benefitting from the system.

He adds, “We are a very agricultural country, (but) it is quite a paradox that we cannot even have self-sufficiency on basic staples [...] through cooperativism, we can have that!”

Hence, CDA’s agricultural cooperatives have shifted from conventional agriculture to sustainable agriculture where the land produces the country’s basic food staples—such as pineapples, bananas, and taro—with the use of organic substances.

Ravanera, who also sits as co-chair of the Network for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives for Asia and the Pacific (Nedac), shares that CDA has helped 1,062 agrarian reform cooperatives by providing technical assistance such as registration and rehabilitation of cooperatives, issuance of Certificate of Compliance (COC), partnerships, and audit subsidy.

Meanwhile, as regards climate change, CDA recently partnered with the Climate Change Commission which focuses on climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Last year, the Visayas-based PH Haiyan Advocacy Cooperative and the CDA-Tacloban Extension Office gathered various stakeholders in a Visayas Cooperative Conference to raise awareness on the possible threats brought by climate change.

Dubbed “Cooperative Efforts in Action: A Response to Climate Change,” the conference was designed to link science with policy and practice, assessing actions that various sectors can jointly undertake to ward off the perilous

effects of climate change.

“We believe that it is now time for us to control climate change,” Ravanera emphasizes.

Empowering farmers For CDA, cooperativism is a social justice measure that will enable Filipinos to become self-sufficient and gain control over external forces.

With this in mind, the agency aims to empower Filipinos by harnessing their collective potential and binding them as one cooperative.

“We will educate our people on the basic, very elementary-modules on environment,” Ravanera vows.

He cites the case of the Cagayan de Orobased cooperative where about 200,000-hectares of land were rehabilitated by CDA and dairy products are being produced by cooperative members of the area.

In partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), CDA has extended its training program to the cooperative of indigenous people who are now producing, packing, and selling taro roots for a living.

Moreover, under the partnership contract which was signed in 2018, CDA and NCIP shall provide for the orderly promotion, organization, registration, development and regulation of all types of cooperatives organized by and among Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs)/Indigenous Peoples (IPs), taking into consideration their unique culture, tradition, customary laws and practices, within or outside ancestral domains.

Supporting soldiers CDA has also extended its aid to the wounded soldiers of the Marawi siege that took place from May 23 to October 23, 2017.

A newly-established cooperative, the Wounded Soldiers Agricultural Cooperative (WSAC), now has a new assignment:battling poverty for economic sustainability.

Now part of the mission of these soldiers is to be involved in agriculture projects. Specifically, WSAC has engaged in producing dairy products.

For its part, the Department of National Defense provided a five-hectare land in Batangas to be transformed into an agri-tourism farm.

The Department of Agriculture is also providing P1.5-million funding for livestock supply.

Ravanera encourages people to buy local, in support of the livelihood of the cooperatives as well as to boost the country’s economic growth.

“This is our message: a country that is consuming what it is not producing will only entail us a slow growth,” he warns. “That is the reality— not everyone knows that what

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Special Feature

n CDA Chairman Orlando Ravanera calls on all Filipinos to adopt acooperative power where ‘no one shall be left behind.’

n Gawad Parangal is an award and recognition program of CDA, one of the flagship programs of the agency which started in 2011.

n SHIFT FROM C2

Call for a paradigm shift has prevailed is an exclusive growth… What we want is inclusive growth.”

Coop for the energy sector In addition to agriculture, the development authority has likewise established cooperatives at the energy sector.

Formally called One Mindanao Energy Cooperative, the project has been making use of renewable energy sources such as solar and hydropower. The move is in line with the coop’s vision to be “leading in the development of renewable energy resources, co-owned by empowered cooperatives for sustainability of Mindanao — one.”

“Enough is enough of the use of toxic chemicals, enough is enough of fossil fuel,” Ravanera stresses.

He adds that cooperativism is the answer for three reasons: 1, it is members-owned; 2, it is value-based; and 3, it is sustainable.

Roadmap to 2022 To highlight the importance of developing mutually-empowering partnerships, the agency formulated the 2018-2022 Philippine Cooperative Development Plan (PCDP).

The plan, which is a result of multi-sectoral efforts, focuses on sustained efforts to address needs, problems, and poverty at its roots. It attempts to address not only the lack of material resources or income, but also the absence of capabilities, opportunities, and power that will allow citizens to fully assume their role as members of the community.

PCDP envisions to work “towards a globally competitive and resilient cooperative industry for a progressive nation.”

As such, the PDCP lists its strategic goals to achieve its collective vision, which includes: • Enhanced Policy, Regulatory Environment and Partnerships; • Improved Institutional Development, Governance and Management; • Sustained Human Capital Development among Cooperatives; • Globally Competitive Cooperative Products and Services; • Increased Access to Finance; and • Increased Access to Markets and Infrastructure The realization of the collective vision and strategic goals of the cooperative sector will contribute to the societal goal of poverty

reduction and the improvement of the quality of life of the members of cooperatives.

Therefore, the operations and governance in the cooperative sector, as well as the relationships between and among the actors, shall be guided by the following principles: a) subsidiarity and complementation, b) circumscribed governance, c) empowerment, d) strategic alliance and critical collaboration and e) accountability.

The formulation of PCDP is pursuant to CDA’s mandate to be the lead agency for the promotion and development of coo peratives and in consonance with its function to formulate, adopt, and implement integrated and comprehensive plans and programs on cooperative development consistent with the national policy on cooperatives and the overall socio-economic development plans of the government.

Scaling the heights While it pursues sustainability in all its cooperatives, CDA has likewise been ramping up its operations to sustain itself.

From a minimal budget, CDA’s budget has yet to have enough to cope with the broadening of its concerns.

Likewise, CDA recently inked a Joint Memorandum Circular with the Department of Interior and Local Government, mandating local government units to appoint cooperative development officers who will be tasked with Cooperative Promotion, Organization, and Development in the LGUs. In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) no. 67, “Rationalizing The Office Of The President Through The Consolidation Of Its Core Mandates And Strengthening The Democratic And Institutional Framework Of The Executive Department.”

Under the EO, eight agencies under the Office of the Cabinet Secretary were transferred to three departments namely Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Through EO 67, CDA was formally transferred to the Department of Trade and Industry headed by Secretary Ramon Lopez.

Ravanera concludes: “Let me be a little poetic: A strong army can conquer a kingdom but the strongest army in the world cannot stop an idea whose time has come.

The time for cooperativism has come, and no one can stop it.”

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

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SUNDAY MARCH 10, 2019

Public Square

C4 Public Square appears on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

For contributions, email to publicsquare@manilatimes.net

publicsquare@manilatimes.net

New DBP president vows to sustain bank’s developmental initiatives S

TATE-OWNED Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) will sustain its development banking initiatives particularly in the government’s flagship “Build, Build, Build!” infrastructure program, according to its newlyappointed president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Herbosa.

Herbosa said that under his watch, DBP will continue to intensify its drive to promote financial inclusion especially in unbanked and underserved areas of the country while improving on the current service infrastructure of the 72-year old bank.

“It is my hope that through these programs, DBP will remain a relevant and responsive partner of the National Government in promoting inclusive growth particularly in the countryside,” Herbosa said.

A US-trained banker, Herbosa has extensive experience in corporate banking, consumer banking, branch, and overseas banking. Prior to his appointment to the DBP, he was formerly president and chief executive officer of the Philippine Guarantee Corporation.

Herbosa also held leadership positions with the Bank of the Philippine Islands and Bank of Commerce where he was senior vice president and executive vice president, respectively. He was the former chief operating officer of Ayala Insurance, a bancassurance subsidiary of the Ayala Group.

A graduate of Industrial Management Engineering from the De La Salle University, Herbosa earned his Master’s in Business Administration from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylva-

n Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez (left) swears in new DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Herbosa during rites held on March 1 at the Department of Finance head office in Manila. nia. Herbosa also completed a Leadership Excellence Acceleration Program from the Harvard Business School, Account Management Course from JP Morgan, and Advanced Account Management from

City Trust Company.

Apart from his banking profession, he also served directorial posts at the De La Salle School Boards, De La Salle Brothers Fund, Inc., and P & Gers Fund, Inc.

Belmonte welcomes Inday Sara, Hugpong bets in Quezon City sortie WITH more than 15,000 supporters in tow, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte of the local Serbisyo sa Bayan Party (SBP) welcomed Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and the bets of Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) in a campaign rally at the Amoranto Sports Complex on Thursday.

“We are happy to welcome once again Mayor Sara and the candidates of Hugpong in the biggest city in Metro Manila. We’re here today to show the voters that Hugpong and our candidates in Quezon City are united in our goals of true service and good governance,” Belmonte, who is running for mayor in the upcoming elections, said in an interview.

In August last year, SBP led by Belmonte formally signed an alliance with Davao City’s HNP. Then, in November, Quezon City’s local party personally pledged its support to Mayor Sara Duterte and the candidates endorsed by Hugpong.

n During the Quezon City sortie, seated from left: Representative and former House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and Councilor Gian Sotto.

The candidates from Quezon Among the Senatorial candidates Tolentino, General Ronald “Bato” present at the event were reelection- Dela Rosa, and broadcast journalist City’s six districts included conists Senator Sonny Angara, Senator Jiggy Manicad also joined the sortie. gressional candidates under the Meanwhile, the delegation from Hugpong-SBP alliance: Councilor JV Ejercito, former senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla, and Taguig the Serbisyo sa Bayan Party was led by Precious Hipolito-Castelo, CouncilBelmonte, Councilor Gian Sotto, who or Elizabeth Delarmente, and CounCity Rep. Pia Cayetano.

Newcomers Ilocos Norte Gov. is running for vice mayor in the 2019 cilor Jesus “Bong” Suntay, and SBP’s Imee Marcos, former Special As- elections, Representative and former own party-list candidates Councilor sistant to the President Bong Go, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Ranulfo Ludovica, Felicito Valmocina, and Vincent Belmonte. former Presidential adviser Francis and Cong. Winnie Castelo.

1. Do not smoke in bed.

2. Crush cigarette butts thoroughly before discarding them.

3. Do not throw them into wastebaskets.

4. Keep lighted candles, oil or gas lamps away from curtains and other objects that easily catch fire.

5. Do not store any flammable substances or any volatile liquid in the kitchen and inside dwelling houses. Keep matches and lighters away from children’s reach.

6. Do not use open flames for decorations in the house.

7. Extinguish all live charcoals and embers after cooking in the kitchen.

8. Kerosene and gas stoves should be checked for leakage and

n PRC responds to a fire incident involving the BOC building on February 22. regularly cleaned.

9. Check your electrical installations regularly and have all frayed wiring, damaged sockets, switches and other defective electrical fixtures changed or repaired promptly.

10. All electrical installations, repairs and changes should be under-

taken by licensed electricians.

11. Cords of portable appliances should be as short as possible.

12. Do not overload your electrical circuits by profusely putting extra lights and appliances.

In case of emergencies, contact Red Cross hotline 143.

Philexport officers finish course on responsible business conduct THE country’s export sector continues to keep abreast of developments in global business standards through the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc.’s (Philexport) active participation in international trainings and seminars, including the recent Master Training on Promoting Responsible Business Conduct in Supply Chain Intermediaries - OSH & RBC track held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Photo shows Philexport/Ecop president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. (right) receiving awardees of training certificates and International

Labor Organization (ILO) Training Center Turin officials. Also in the photo are Philexport VPPromotions Leni Abella; Sandro

Pettineo of ITC-ILO; co-awardees Kassey Rose Del Pilar and Nadine Abor of Philexport Manila and Atty. Rami Hourani of Philexport

Cebu; Jorge Illingworth of ITCILO; Philexport EVP/COO Atty.

Aniano Bagabaldo,; and ECOP director-general Jose Roland Moya.

Children. Attending the congress were Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, Coun. Marissa

Rongavilla, former Coun. Raul Corro, and other local officials.

Muntinlupa holds 1st Children’s Congress AT least 100 youth representatives attended the 1st Muntinlupa City Children’s Congress held at Muntinlupa Sports Complex, Brgy. Tunasan on March 6. Students from public and private schools, including representatives from Bahay Pag-asa and SPEd, participated in workshops and shared their insight on the ten rights as children. The outputs in the Children’s Congress will be used in

THE Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) intensifies its campaign against fraud in light of the Universal Health Care law’s enactment. “We cannot afford to fall short on our efforts to halt the progression of these deceitful practices; especially now that the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) needs a strong and stable fund to enforce the Universal Health Care Act,” said Dr. Roy Ferrer, PhilHealth acting president and CEO. “We take it upon ourselves to initiate collaborations with relevant government agencies and private entities to uphold the moral standards by which our society must prosper,” Ferrer added.

These partnerships ascertain the success of anti-fraud activities in order to ensure reliable and consistent services for PhilHealth beneficiaries.

The corporation recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the National Bureau of Investigation and commenced a strengthened effort to suppress fraud. PhilHealth also joined hands with the Philippine Medi-

cal Association and Philippine Hospital Association to confront erring health care institutions; while the Professional Regulation Commission was tapped to dispense sanctions upon dishonest health professionals.

Last year, PhilHealth filed about 5,000 cases with its Prosecution Department against health care institutions and professionals. The corporation only takes 17 days to process a case build-up that entails a thorough data-gathering method. Fraudulent transactions spanning from professionals recruiting members into a bogus “Free Wellness Program” only to be paid for by PhilHealth to hospitals and dialysis centers including filing claims for deceased patients were exposed.

These cases are now being actively investigated and prosecuted.

Report fraud to PhilHealth’s 24/7 Corporate Action Center Hotline, (02) 441-7442, e-mails may also be sent to actioncenter@ philhealth.gov.ph. For more updates, members and stakeholders follow PhilHealth on Facebook (facebook.com/PhilHealth) and Twitter (@teamphilhealth).

More fun in ‘Anilag 2019’

Red Cross: Fire safety is every family’s responsibility THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is calling on the public to practice household-level fire safety measures to prevent suffering heavy losses due to fire incidents.

PRC Chairman Richard Gordon reiterated the importance of the organization’s 4Ps principle—Predict, Plan, Prepare, Practice—to uphold the safety of every family.

The PRC supports the campaign of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to raise fire prevention awareness throughout the month of March, which is said to have the most number of fire incidents due to the peaking of temperatures.

In line with this, PRC reminds the public to practice the following fire prevention tips:

PhilHealth hunts down fraud, secures UHC’s future

the formulation of the Local Development Plan and Investment Plan for

THOUSANDS of visitors have joined the festivities at the “2019 Anilag” in the town of Sta. Cruz, Laguna’s provincial capital.

More people are attending this year as more fun activities were added to the weeklong “Anilag” which means Laguna’s Harvest (Ani ng Laguna), an annual thanksgiving celebration of the abundance of the province’s natural and human resources, agricultural produce, booming trade and commerce, manufacturing, real estate development and tourism industry.

The family-oriented program titled “Masayang Pamilya, Masayang Laguna,” opened with the Heritage Fluvial Parade on Sta. Cruz River, parade of contingents participating in the street dance and float competitions, and contestants for the Ginoo & Binibining Laguna, and fireworks display.

The following competitions were also held: Laguna Gay Queen & Lesbian King, body-building, culinary, fishery, painting, Anilag Singing Idol, car show, dog show, photo & short film, pyro-musical, mural art, fashion design, mural art and wedding cake contests.

DoT Region 4A OIC-Director Marites Castro joined Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez and other local officials from Laguna’s six cities

and 24 municipalities, which all put up their respective exhibit of their agri-industrial products and handcrafts. Tourism stakeholders, including travel and tour, hotel and resort, farm and food establishments also have their respective booth and kiosks.

“The fiesta motif of the Anilag Festival showcases Laguna Province’s most diverse attractions that draw thousands of tourists from all over the country and abroad, as it is known not only as the home province of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal but also the location of natural wonders, such as the Pagsanjan Falls, Mount Makiling, hot springs, farm resort destinations.

Best of all, it is home to the most hospitable people with best food there is,” Dir. Castro said.

Director Castro also cited the Laguna LGU’s all-out support for the Administration’s sustainable tourism development efforts, including the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, Laguna de Bay and Pasig River.

Honest Duty Free PH guard rewarded

A SECURITY guard of Duty Free Philippines (DFP) was lauded for returning $600 (P31,200) worth of items left behind by an unknown Chinese woman at the parking area of the Fiestamall.

Leoncio Laylo (right), 37 years old, was the guard on duty on February 17, when he spotted an unattended push cart.

Laylo said that he waited for 30 minutes for the owner to return but no one came back.

He then surrendered the items to Customer Relations Registra-

tions of the Fiestamall.

Laylo, a father for two and the sole breadwinner of his family, said that he has no interest in keeping things that do not belong to him.

DFPC Chief Operating Officer (COO) Vicente Pelagio Angala (left) on Friday personally commended Laylo by rewarding him with cash and goods for his family.

Aside from the $600 worth of items he returned, he also turned over two Lacoste shirts worth P14,000 in 2018.

Sports

White siblings pocket 13 golds in Vietnam swim tilt

SUNDAY MARCH 10, 2019

Phoenix shoots for QF incentive PHOENIX Pulse seeks a twice-to-beat quarterfinals bonus when it battles crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Season 44 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup tonight at the Araneta Coliseum.

Game time is at 6:45 p.m.

After coming from a spectacular 89-87 victory over Magnolia last week, the Fuel Masters are eyeing for their fourth straight win in one of their last two games at the elimination round. Phoenix Pulse is the league’s solo leader now possessing an 8-1 win-loss record.

But Phoenix coach Louie Alas is bracing for a tough competition with multi-titled mentor Tim Cone and the Gin Kings since they are coming from a 78-104 embarrassing defeat to Alaska last week.

“I think they (Ginebra) are the most dangerous team right now coming from a loss. Ginebra has a pride that it cannot afford to lose another game but we’ll be ready,” said the former Letran head coach, adding that he’s expecting another close game.

“If we played ready in our previous games, we should be more ready against Ginebra. They don’t come to the game not ready especially coach Tim Cone.”

Calvin Abueva is coming from 24 points, 13 rebounds and five assists performance against Magnolia.

Cone admitted that his Ginebra squad was really outplayed by an injury-riddled Alaska team.

“We were really let our fans down by getting embarrassed and humiliated in our last game and we have had a long week to let it soak in,” said Cone, noting though that they have to focus now on the league-leader Phoenix if they want to get into the quarterfinals.

“Phoenix has been playing great basketball and they are a tough team to get going against. We need to reach deep and, obviously play a lot better than our last game.

Most of all, we owe it to our fans to play better,”he said.

Ginebra, at 3-3 win-loss record, is currently at fourth place.

In the 4:30 p.m. game, defending champion San Miguel Beer (4-3) wants to formally gain a quarterfinal entry as it faces Northport (2-4). JOSEF T. RAMOS

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Harden’s 31 points help Rockets past 76ers H

OUSTON: The Houston Rockets are finally healthy and it has them on a roll.

James Harden had 31 points and 10 rebounds and the Rockets extended their winning streak to a season-high seven games with a 107-91 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

While Harden has missed just four games this season, fellow stars Chris Paul and Clint Capela have missed 15 and 19 games, respectively, with injuries.

“I think it’s very obvious with Clint, Chris and James playing together and they’re all healthy and in rhythm we’re pretty hard to beat,” coach Mike D’Antoni said.

Houston improved to 21-9 this season in games when all three play after going 42-3 in such games last season.

“Our pace and energy has been really good and it always helps to be healthy,” Paul said.

The Rockets had a big lead for most of the night after a 37-point first quarter and were up by 22 entering the fourth. Philadelphia had trouble containing Capela with Joel Embiid out for the eighth straight game with a sore left knee, and Houston’s big man had 18 points and nine rebounds.

“They did an excellent job at defending us,” Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said. “I just think that first period sort of set the table and we found it difficult to respond after that.”

The victory came after Philadelphia won the first meeting this season 121-93 behind 32 points from Embiid.

Gerald Green and Iman Shumpert each made a 3-pointer to power a 6-2 run in the fourth quarter and extend the lead to 96-72 with nine minutes left. Philadelphia scored the next five points before Harden wowed the crowd with a between-the-legs bounce pass to Capela, but he was fouled on the shot and missed both free throws.

Houston led by 16 with about five minutes left when Harden had a dunk to make it 99-81 and

n Houston Rockets’ James Harden (No. 13) is fouled by Philadelphia 76ers’ James Ennis III during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Houston. AP PHOTO give him at least 30 points in his NBA-leading 30th game this season. Coach Mike D’Antoni cleared the bench soon after that with the game in hand.

Tobias Harris had 22 points for the 76ers, who dropped their second straight. Ben Simmons played despite dealing with stomach flu and added 15 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

Philadelphia shot just 3 of 26 on 3-pointers with JJ Redick going 1 for 9 and Mike Scott missing all of his five attempts.

The 76ers opened the third quarter with a 9-6 run to cut the lead to 12 points, but Houston scored the next six points with 3s from Harden and Eric Gordon to push it to 71-53 with about six minutes left in the quarter.

Harden left briefly in the second quarter after

crashing to the court after a collision with Simmons while attempting a shot. He remained on the court on his back writhing in pain for a couple of minutes before getting to his feet and going to the locker room. He appeared to have injured his right wrist and had it taped when he returned to the court.

It didn’t seem to be bothering him much after he returned to the game and he provided a highlightreel play when he used a crossover to shake Jimmy Butler at the 3-point line and drove into the lane for a layup to leave Houston up 59-44 at halftime.

D’Antoni said that Harden was OK, but a team official said that he was getting a precautionary Xray after the game and wasn’t available to reporters.

76ers: Boban Marjanovic sat out for the fifth

game in a row with an injured right knee. ... Butler added 19 points with nine rebounds.

Rockets: Shumpert returned after missing the last three games with a sore right calf. He had three points and three rebounds. Kenneth Faried missed his fourth game with a bruised hip. ... Chris Paul had eight assists.

D’Antoni on Houston’s defense: “They know ... to get in the mix of winning a title we have to play great defense.”

Gordon had five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points on Friday night, continuing a streak of hot long-range shooting. After missing all five of his attempts on Feb. 27 against Charlotte, Gordon has averaged 5.3 3-pointers a game and shot 61.5 percent from behind the arc in the last three games. AP

D2

Nascar

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

The Sunday Times

times.net

n Joey Logano, driver of the (No. 22) Pennzoil Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil Oil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 3, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Joey Logano holds off Brad Keselowski for Vegas NASCAR win

L

AS VEGAS: Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski were side by side off the fourth turn, two teammates fighting for the last burst of speed on the final lap at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Logano barely managed to block Keselowski’s move, and the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion hung on for his first win in his title defense season.

“That was more intense than I wanted it to be,” Logano said.

Logano held off Keselowski on Sunday for his first Cup victory in Vegas, driving his Team Penske Ford to his 22nd career win.

“There’s been plenty of times here when we’ve led a lot of laps here, but we’ve never won, and that’s the most important stat to have,” Logano said. “Something happens at the end, and Brad becomes the fastest car and he wins.

I looked in the mirror, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is happening again.’”

But after narrowly answering Keselowski’s last-lap passing attempt, Logano celebrated his victory in NASCAR’s first race under its full new rules package designed to foster tight racing and excitement.

“What a great race,” Logano said. “Brad and I were so evenly matched, and you just can’t pull away (under the new rules). My heart is still running.”

Excitement is exactly what NASCAR got on the final lap, although the quality of the 266 laps before that sharply divided drivers and observers — no surprise in a sport that rarely agrees on much of anything.

The Vegas race featured no cautions, which meant the

thrilling restarts expected under the new rules were limited to a couple of wild laps after the two segment breaks.

“There towards the end, the way this drafting package, these rules work, it was intense,” Logano said. “You can’t get away. You’re constantly looking around. Mentally, I’m exhausted right now. ... It proves you don’t need crashes to have an exciting race. There’s so much strategy that goes into driving these race cars now. I thought it was as entertaining as can be. I don’t really know what to say if you don’t like that.”

Keselowski drove up from 19th to take the lead with 27 laps left, but his hopes for back-to-back victories were dashed when Logano passed him while getting held up by lapped traffic.

“I’d like to have one more lap,” said Keselowski, who won the playoff race in Vegas last September. “It was a good battle, and we were both fighting really hard at

n US race car driver Joey Logano celebrates his first place victory of the Pennzoil 400 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway AFP PHOTOS

the top. It seemed like it came down to what the lapped cars were going to do.”

Kyle Busch finished third, unable to recover from a mid-race speeding penalty in the hometown driver’s quest for the third threerace weekend sweep in NASCAR history. As you might expect, Busch wasn’t a fan of the new rules’ effects on his racing.

“The cars don’t have any speed,” Busch said. “You’re wide open just trying to catch a draft. You couldn’t maneuver. You’re always trying to figure out which way to go.”

Pole-sitter Kevin Harvick was fourth, and Kurt Busch finished fifth for the Las Vegas native’s first top-five finish at his home track since 2005. Fords took five of the top seven spots.

Here are more things to know from the race in Sin City:

Busch blame Kyle Busch won the Trucks race Friday and the Xfinity event Sat-

Kyle Busch wins Xfinity race in 2OT LAS VEGAS: Kyle Busch moved into position for a three-race weekend sweep in his hometown, holding on in double overtime to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Sunday.

Busch outpaced John Hunter Nemechek on the final lap, adding his record 93rd career Xfinity series win to his victory in the Truck Series race on Friday.

“I thought this would be the toughest of the three,” Busch said.

“We had a fast race car, but we could never get the balance, even in the race right there.”

Busch still pulled off yet another victory in the second-tier series, and he’ll have the chance for a third straight win Sunday.

Busch is the only driver ever to win Trucks, Xfinity and Cup series races

in the same weekend, doing it at Bristol in 2010 and 2017.

Busch had to bounce back from falling to 33rd place during an early unscheduled pit stop due to a loose wheel, but the veteran Cup Series driver rolled back into the lead and still led 98 laps.

“I thought, ‘OK, there’s an opportunity here, but there’s a lot of things that have to go our

way,’” Busch said. “Fortunately, that caution in the beginning of the second stage went our way and allowed us to put our first set of tires on with a fresh wheel. ... This Supra was fast out there today, and awfully fun to drive. We worked for that one, that’s for sure.”

He stayed in front during two overtime restarts, the second

urday, giving him 197 victories in all three series. But he has won only one Cup race in Vegas, and he owned his mistake when he failed to complete the triple.

“If we didn’t have the speeding penalty on pit road, we would have won this race,” Busch said. “The driver threw it away.”

Penske surging

Roger Penske’s team has won two of the first three races, and the 82-year-old owner is encouraged by the early results from the new package, and not just because Logano won.

“To me it shows that you can be the leader, but also you can be behind and catch up,” Penske said. “I’m maybe biased, but so far, so good.”

Penske also wasn’t worried w h e n h i s t wo d r i ve r s we r e inches apart on that final lap: “We’ve really told them to take care of each other, and the last 10 laps, the best man wins. I’ve seen it all over the years with caused when Brandon Jones took heavy damage in a collision with Cole Custer.

“I knew to keep fighting and keep working,” Busch said. “It was early enough where you could try to come back from one of those kinds of setbacks. I wasn’t sure how we were going to do it, being short a set of tires. We got a lucky break with that caution in the second stage that got us back on cycle.”

With 51 career Cup series victories and 53 Truck wins, Busch

teammates racing each other.

On the one side, you worry a little bit, but on the other side, boy, isn’t that great?”

Who’s hot

Logano moved into the overall series points lead, jumping two points ahead of Kevin Harvick.

Logano, who finished fourth at Daytona, had never won a Cup race at Vegas in 11 tries during his first 10 full-time seasons, although he won an Xfinity Series race at the track in 2017.

Who’s not

Seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson finished 19th, and he sits 18th in the overall points.

That’s last among the four drivers from Hendrick Motorsports, which isn’t off to a dynamite start to the season.

Up next

At ISM Raceway in Phoenix on March 10 as NASCAR’s West Coast Swing continues.

AP is just three wins behind Richard Petty’s record 200 NASCAR victories.

Las Vegas native Noah Gragson was third, followed by Austin Dillon and Michael Annett.

Busch has won just once in 15 career Cup races on his hometown track, but he’ll start third on Sunday. Busch isn’t a big fan of NASCAR’s new rules package, which keeps speeds down and downforce up in an attempt to encourage tough, tight racing.

AP

The Sunday Times

www.manilatimes.net

Motor Sports

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

D3

n The first round of the IAME Series Asia will be staged at the Clark International Speedway Kart Track on March 23 to 24, 2019.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

IAME KARTING SERIES COMING TO PH

BY MIKE POTENCIANO

A

SIA’S exciting kart series, IAME Series Asia, with Petron Blaze 100 as its official fuel, is arriving in the Philippines with the first round to be held at the newly built Clark International Speedway Kart Track in Pampanga on March 23 to 24, 2019.

The international karting series was formerly known as X30 South East Asia and has been providing a well-managed

platform for aspiring drivers to break into motor sports. With the increasing popularity of karting in the Philippines, Petron

is pitching in to assure the success of the IAME Series’ first round.

Located within the Clark Freeport zone, the new Clark Kart Track is a 13turn, high-speed circuit that boasts of world-class amenities. It’s only five minutes away from the Clark International airport and within the existing racetrack for cars namely the Clark International Speedway. The first kart race at Clark was held last December and it has become the karter’s choice after the Carmona Racing Circuit in Cavite was closed for renovation.

“We are expecting to see karters from all over Asia, from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea and of course, the Philippines,“ said KC Chong, head of the ISA organizing team. “This is going to be a very exciting race to kick start the season.

With drivers from so many nationalities battling it out this year, we expect great battles in the respective categories in the championship.”

The winners of the IAME Series Asia will be given invitations to the IAME International Finals to be held in Le Mans,

France, this year. The invitations include 2,000 euros and race tire packages for the contenders. The implementation of new technical regulations, like the newly developed exhaust system, will give the already potent X30 engines of the contending karts a further performance boost.

The complete the 2019 IAME Series Asia calendar is: Round 1, March 23 to 24 in the Philippines; Round 2, May 11 to 12 in Thailand; Round 3, May 25 to 26 in Thailand; Round 4, July 6 to 7 in Malaysia; Round 5, August 3 to 4, Malaysia; and Round 6, September 14 to 15 in Malaysia.

Riders want Qatar MotoGP to start earlier over safety fears DOHA: Leading MotoGP riders on Thursday urged safety officials at this year’s traditional Qatar season-opener to move the race’s start time forward an hour amid ongoing concerns over Doha weather conditions.

Defending champion Marc Marquez, challenger Jorge Lorenzo and Alex Rins are among those calling on a safety panel to push Sunday’s race to 7pm (1600 GMT) to combat heat, humidity and wind in the desert state.

“Last year the race started at 7 and it was really good, it’s less risk,” said Marquez, speaking at a press conference.

He was backed by other riders, including fellow Spaniard Rins.

“For me, if you race at 7, it’s safer,” said Rins, who crashed out of last year’s Qatar Grand Prix.

The argument to move the start time over trackside temperatures has been rumbling in the days before the season’s curtain-raiser.

Lorenzo, widely considered to be the main challenger to Marquez who is his new Honda stablemate, is one of those who has raised concerns after crashing in pre-season testing, claiming it could be “dangerous” to keep it at 8pm (1700 GMT).

It is forecast to be a maximum of 24 degrees Celsius (75 Fahrenheit) in Doha on Sunday, though several degrees cooler by the evening.

There are also concerns over the gusty conditions especially on some exposed parts of the Losail track.

Whatever the conditions, the race should herald the beginning of one of the most competitive MotoGP seasons, which takes place over 19 races.

Marquez and Lorenzo come into the season with injury concerns.

Marquez is recovering from a shoulder surgery, while Lorenzo is recuperating after fracturing his wrist in a dirt bike crash.

He said he was not fully-fit for Losail.

“I am going close to that (100% fitness), but I feel it may take one month,” said Lorenzo.

Marquez, who has won five of the past six championships, is also expected to face a stiff challenge from last year’s Doha winner, Andrea Dovizioso.

The Italian, who rides with Ducati, finished second overall to Marquez in the 2018 season.

As ever, the biggest draw will arguably be legendary seven-time premier class winner, Valentino Rossi.

The Italian, who has just turned 40, will be racing in his 20th season.

Rossi, who finished third in Doha last season, said “seven or eight riders” could compete for this year’s title.

“The line-up of the championship is unbelievable, all the different factory bikes are strong, everybody is faster,” said Rossi.

AFP n Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez (R) speaks after a group picture in Doha on March 7, at Lusail Circuit ahead of the season’s start at Qatar MotoGP grand prix on March 10. AFP PHOTO

n The City of St. Petersburg is pictured in the background as IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud makes his way through turn 10 during the first IndyCar practice on the first day of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Fla on March 9. AP PHOTO

IndyCar slowly, steadily returning to relevance ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.: IndyCar is ready to go racing again after six long months spent solidifying the business side of the series as it executes a five-year plan aimed at continued growth.

Scott Dixon wrapped up his fifth IndyCar championship last September. The months since have seen IndyCar land new title sponsorship from Japanese communications giant NTT, the transition to a single steady television partner in NBC Sports and a continued push toward expanding the grid and making it easier for new teams to crack the series.

“It feels good, like we have momentum again,” said Jay Frye, who was promoted to president of IndyCar in December.

“There’s been a huge amount of work and it’s been an organized process that we believe is working.”

The series opens Sunday in St. Petersburg, where Sebastien Bourdais will go for his third consecutive victory on the streets of the Florida city he calls home. The starting grid will consist of 19 veterans, five classified rookies and three drivers making their IndyCar debut.

Among the newcomers are Felix Rosenqvist, the new teammate to Dixon at Chip Ganassi Racing, and Marcus Ericsson , who fills Robert Wickens’ seat at Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Santino Ferrucci (Dale Coyne Racing) and Colton Herta (Harding Steinbrenner Racing) are considered rookies but made at least one start last season.

Ericsson was winless in 97 Formula One starts and lost his ride after last season when Alfa Romeo signed Kimi Raikkonen. Rosenqvist is a former Formula 3 champion who spent three seasons in Formula E and ran a partial Indy Lights season in 2016.

“I’m looking forward to Felix, I think he can really help the program,” said Dixon.

“He’s a big talent, fast, will raise our whole game and effort. Just something I think we

really need to do, especially when you’re competing against the likes of Penske and Andretti right now. Andretti are a great team right now. They’ve been doing a lot of good things.”

Ericsson and Rosenqvist, both Swedes, followed the career change of Alexander Rossi, the American who abandoned his F1 pursuit after the 2015 season and in the three years since his move to IndyCar has won the Indianapolis 500 and took Dixon to the season finale in last year’s championship race.

Rossi anchors Andretti Autosport with Ryan Hunter-Reay, whose championship in 2012 was an anomaly during a decade dominated by Ganassi and Team Penske.

Ganassi has won six titles with Dixon and Dario Franchitti since 2008, while Penske drivers Will Power, Simon Pagenaud and Josef Newgarden each won a championship.

Andretti Autosport this week released a glossy video celebrating its team history, its powerful name and this year’s four-driver lineup, which is the same for a second consecutive season for the first time in a decade.

Marco Andretti is starting his 14th season and seeking his first victory since 2001.

The son of team owner Michael Andretti and grandson of IndyCar great Mario Andretti said the consistency should help the organization compete consistently with the Penske and Ganassi heavyweights.

“We all understand each other and our desires — how we like the car set up,” Marco Andretti said. “I know some things Rossi or Hunter-Reay like don’t necessarily fit my style, and they may not like what works for me. Everyone is comfortable with each other and we are all on the same page.”

The 24 entries equal the size of last year’s field, but is up three cars from two seasons ago. It’s part of Frye’s five-year plan that began in 2016 and focused on collaboration among series stakeholders to help IndyCar return to the buzz of its glory days 30 years ago.

The plan has produced a new car that earned strong reviews in last year’s inaugural season. The number of passes during the season was improved, the series had eight different winners over 17 races and parity deep into the field.

“This is the second year of the new car and last year it performed at a very high level,” Frye said. “The fans really like the look of a car, it very much has a historical feel to it, and in the second year of this product, we are sure that we can make it better.”

NBC Sports will air eight events on NBC — up from five national events last year when ABC shared the package. NBC Sports has earned a strong reputation in the racing industry for its commitment to producing a topnotch product, and its booth of Leigh Diffey, Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy is among the smoothest in motorsports.

Mike Tirico will host his inaugural Indianapolis 500 when the network hosts it for the first time in May. The 500 has a growing number of entries — it has already passed the maximum 33 — ensuring there will be bumping for “The Greatest Spectacle In Racing” and the crown jewel of IndyCar. The field will include Fernando Alonso, the two-time Formula One world champion who has retired from that series in pursuit of his bucket list of world-renowned races. He will be competing in an independent effort for McLaren, the first step in what could be a return to IndyCar for the beloved organization.

IndyCar wants McLaren with the same enthusiasm it is chasing a third manufacturer for the series. It’s been only Chevrolet and Honda since 2012, but Frye is hopeful another manufacturer could be on the track by 2021.

“There’s lots of people who are very curious and interested in what we’re doing, which is great,” Frye said. “But obviously a lot of this is timing because this is a big commitment, but we are working on that.

AP

D4

Sports White siblings pocket 13 golds in Vietnam swim tilt P

˜ The Manila Times

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

w w w.manilatimes.net

HILIPPINE Swimming League (PSL) standouts Ruben White, Hannah White and Heather White copped 13 gold and two bronze medals in the 2019 Bish International Swimming Championship held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

n (From left) White siblings Ruben, Heather and Hannah display their trophies and medals during the awarding ceremonies of the 2019 Bish International Swimming Championship held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

A veteran of international competitions, Ruben was the most decorated swimmer in the tournament by sweeping all the five gold medals he was entered in the boys’ 14-year category.

Ruben started his campaign with an impressive clocking of one minute and 18.23 second to claim his first gold medal in the 100m breaststroke event. He followed it up with another gold-medal performance, this time in the 100m backstroke where he checked in at 1:07.40.

He continued his remarkable showing with another gold in the 100m freestyle as he registered 59.34 seconds before wrapping up with

gold medals in the 100m Individual Medley (1:08.45) and 100m butterfly (1:06.01).

Not to be outdone was Hannah who earned four gold and one bronze medals in the girls’ 6-year division of the tournament that drew more than 500 tankers from different parts of the region.

Hannah dominated the 50m backstroke in 53.58 seconds and the 50m freestyle in 43.57 seconds.

She also ruled the 25m freestyle (17.66) and 25m backstroke (23.75) events then placed third in the 50m breaststroke (1:11.30) category.

On the other hand, Heather also deliv-

ered four golds and one bronze in the girls’ 11-year class.

Heather topped the 50m backstroke (34.36), 200m backstroke (2:44.44), 100m backstroke (1:14.38) and 50m butterfly (31.88) events and wound up third in the 200m Individual Medley (2:48.08).

Ruben, Hannah and Heather went on to win the Most Outstanding Swimmer award in their respective age-bands.

“We are so proud of these kids. They are all products of our grassroots development program especially Hannah. Two years old pa lang siya nakitaan na namin siya ng potential na maging magaling na swimmer,” said PSL president Susan Papa.

The White siblings will banner the country’s campaign in the 2019 Thanyapura Invitational Swimming Championship slated on March 27 to April 2 at the Thanyapura Sports Complex in Phuket, Thailand.

EMIL C. NOGUERA

LA SALLE BACK ON TRACK, HOLDS OFF UE DE La Salle University barged back into the win column after decimating University of the East (UE), 25-18, 25-20, 25-18, in Season 81 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball on Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Lady Spikers only needed to shrug off a shaky second set en route to snapping a twogame losing skid and pushing their four-peat bid back to the winning track.

La Salle tightened its grip of the third spot with a 4-2 record, behind archrival Ateneo De Manila University and University of the Philippines (UP) with identical 3-1 slates.

Rookie spiker Jolina Dela Cruz paced La Salle with 14 points built around nine attacks, two blocks and two aces.

Veteran ouside hitter Tin Tiamzon tallied 10 points anchored on nine spikes to go with five excellent receptions in her first start this season to help the Taft-based team hurdle the rare skid.

“We all know that we had shortcomings. So, we started anew. Coach (Ramil De Jesus) told us to just forget about the loss and focus on the game against UE,” said Tiamzon, whose side last suffered consecutive defeats back in Season 77.

“We just had to go back to the system. Trust our coach, trust each other and play as a family,” she added.

De Jesus, who rushed to his coaching duties with F2 Logistics in the Philippine Superliga,

also drew contributions from Lourdes Clemente (eight points), Aduke Ogunsanya (seven points) and three other Lady Spikers.

After a convincing first set, La Salle had to overcome a 10-4 deficit before winning the second set.

The Lady Spikers then pounced on the Lady Red Warriors’ poor floor defense in the third frame to seal the blowout victory.

Judith Abil, Mary Ann Mendrez and Geline Olarva had eight points apiece for the Lady Red Warriors, who suffered their third straight setback and remained at the cellar with a dismal 1-5 card.

Earlier in men’s play, reigning titlist National U made short work of UST, 25-18, 25-18, 25-21, to post its fourth straight win against a seasonopening loss.

Joshua Umandal was the lone bright spot with 13 points for the No. 4 Tiger Spikers, who slid to 3-3.

La Salle outlasted UE, 25-14, 25-10, 23-25, 22-25, 15-13, to seize a solo sixth with 2-4.

The No. 7 Red Warriors fell to 1-5.

JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

n De La Salle University’s May Luna (No. 7) goes for a top spin against University of the East’s Roselle Baliton (No. 12) and Zilfa Olarve during the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City. PHOTO BY ROGER RANADA

n Bea Tan, together with her new partner Dij Rodriguez, scores their first BVR on Tour Amazing Puerto Galera Dreamwave Open match.

BVR PHOTO

M-BenzTrophy golf up at Sta. Elena OVER 200 players gear up for another face-off in the MercedesTrophy Golf Invitational on Monday, March 11 with no less than berths both in the Asian and world finals up for grabs at the Sta. Elena Go lf and Country Club in Laguna.

The huge field, featuring MercedesBenz owners and golf enthusiasts, will play over the posh 27-hole layout with the winners in three men’s divisions and their respective runners-up along with the ladies champion to represent the Philippines in the MercedesTrophy Asian Finals set

in Brisbane via Philippine Airlines.

The best Filipino placer in the event, presented by Auto Nation Group, Inc., exclusive distributor of Mercedes-Benz in the country and backed by Platinum sponsors Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Philippine Airlines, PLDT, Paramount Life and General Insurance, Shell Philippines and TW Steel, will then head to the world finals set in Germany in October.

The 14th staging of the annual event, backed by Boysen, Business Mirror, Remy Martin, Security Bank and Boss and held to

raise funds for the Cardinal Medical Charities Foundation, Inc., a non-government organization that grants medical care and financial subsidy to disadvantaged patients, was launched in elaborate rites during the MercedesTrophy Sponsors and Champions Night last March 1 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

Aside from the rare chance to mix it up with other regional winners, participants in the Asian Finals will also be treated to an experiential drive showcasing the world-class performance and dynamic handling of M-Benz vehicles.

SAN Miguel Alab Pilipinas exacted revenge on Mikh McKinney and the Macau Black Bears, 101-96, to remain unscathed at home in Season 9 Asean Basketball League (ABL) on Friday night at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The defending Filipino champion ball club spoiled Fil-Am guard McKinney’s 50-point explosion and avenged its 103-116 defeat to the Macanese squad two weeks ago.

With the result, the playoff-bound Alab Pilipinas stayed unbeaten in 12 home games as it improved its leaguebest record to 18-4.

7-foot-4 Puerto Rican center PJ Ramos paced Alab’s attack with a double-double of team-highs 29

points and 13 rebounds.

Renaldo Balkman, who broke into the top 10 of ABL’s all-time scoring list, also drilled in a double-double of 26 points and 11 rebounds to go with eight assists, a steal and a block.

Two-time Local MVP Ray Parks Jr. provided huge support with 22 points, five boards and five dimes while Lawrence Domingo added 11 markers, five rebounds and two assists for the Jimmy Alapag-mentored team.

After staring at a 46-57 deficit on McKinney’s triple near the break, Parks hit two treys to spark a fiery 16-4 run as Alab snatched a 78-76 lead entering the final frame.

Ramos, Balkman and Parks combined forces to give the unblemished home

side its biggest buffer at 95-86 with 3:38 remaining in the tight game.

But McKinney scored five straight points highlighted by a three-point play to shove Macau within 91-95, 2:45 left.

Ramos delivered the finishing blow with a hook shot against two defenders, 99-91 with 1:49 remaining, as Alab held on to the victory.

McKinney made seven three-pointers and shot 17-of-29 (58%) from the field for his scoring eruption on top of nine rebounds and seven assists.

The 6-foot-1 ex-Sacramento State standout’s stellar effort though was not enough to save the Bears from falling to a tie at No. 4 with the Saigon Heat on identical 12-10 slates.

Tan-Rodriguez off to Beermen get even with Black Bears winning start in BVR PUERTO GALERA: Bea Tan and Dij Rodriguez made quick work of University of Santo Tomas’ Mer Jauculan and Derie Virtusio, 21-11, 21-7, for a winning start in the women’s division of the BVR on Tour Amazing Puerto Galera Dreamwave Open Saturday at the Dreamwave White Beach here.

Not to be outdone was the sister tandem of Roma Joy and Roma Mae Doromal, who swept Air Force’s Angel Antipuesto and Mikaela Andres, 21-10, 21-11.

Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez, the December Open men’s division champion, also had a smashing start, as the Air Force duo scored a 21-18, 21-13 victory over National University’s Edward Camposano and James Buytrago.

But KR Guzman and Krung Arbasto, who ruled the Dumaguete leg last November, fell ambush to

UST’s UST’s Rancel Varga and Ef Dimaculangan, 21-15, 18-21, 15-13.

In other women’s opening day matches, Air Force’s May Ann Pantino and Jossa Cabalsa outlasted Dzi Gervacio and Nicole Tiamzon, 21-18, 12-21, 15-10, while Antipuesto and Andres bested FEU-Diliman’s Lyann Louise de Guzman and Nikka Ann Medina, 21-9, 21-17.

The other UST women’s pair, Cara Rosales and MJ Ebro, emerged victorious over FEU-Diliman’s Rizalie Amaro and Shiela Mae Kiseo, 21-13, 21-10.

Amado and Kiseo, who opened their campaign with a 21-10, 21-15 victory over Rizal Technological University’s Mary Jean Ruiz and Jonna Mae de Lima, fell to the loser’s bracket.

A competitive field of 10 women’s and men’s teams will slug it out for the championship.

JEREMIAH M. SEVILLA

Golf

E 1 SUNDAY MARCH 10, 2019

www.manilatimes.net

CEBU CC WRITES INTERCLUB HISTORY

CEBU: Not minding the enormity of what was at stake, Cebu Country Club yesterday completed its date with PAL Interclub history, winning the overall championship coming from a lower division by turning back powerhouse Manila Southwoods.

Burly Bayani Garcia and Pio Neri fired level-par 72s worth 36 points each and Mark Dy accounted for 35 in leading a balanced final day assault on a Cebu Country Club course they call home as the Founders Division favorite steamrolled its way to a crown to remember with a nine-point victory over Southwoods.

“This is definitely unexpected,” skipper Marco Sarmiento, whose 33 was the last score to count, said before joining his teammates in a wild celebration. “We talked about how to attack (the final day) and that was to play with that (history) not in our minds.

“And I guess it worked,” he said as Cebu CC tallied 516 counting 252 points churned out at tight Mactan Island Golf in the middle two rounds and an opening 124.

This marks just the second time that a team from a lower division won the overall title, as Cebu CC duplicated a 1988 feat by an Aguinaldo team made up of future international luminaries like Ramon Brobio and swing coach Bong Lopez.

Southwoods got 38 points from Yuto Katsuragawa but couldn’t get the others to deliver the numbers non-playing skipper Thirdy Escano expected, settling for second and blowing their own bid to win the tournament a fifth straight time, a record solely held by Canlubang.

Chepe Dulay scored 34 points, Carl Corpuz added 32 and either 31 of Josh Jorge and former junior world champion Kristoffer Arevalo counted for Southwoods’ closing 135 and 507 overall, 17 points ahead of Luisita.

The Luisitans got 34 points from Paolo Wong and 32 from Don Petil to make up the bulk of a closing 126, with Del Monte shooting a 119 after 36 points from Romeo Jaraula.

The Cebu CC victory also gift-wrapped for Orchard Golf Club the Founders Division crown with the Dasmarinas-based squad tallying 482 after a fourth round 129 for a 24-point win over Forest Hills.

Zachary Castro scored 35 and Gabriel Macalaguim 34 to lead Orchard, which also drew 32 from Francis Lanuza and 28 from Jong Goo-kim.

Former US NCAA standout Jude Eustaquio fired 36 points and Inigo Raymundo accounted for 31 to lead Forest Hills.

This year’s Interclub is sponsored by Radio Mindanao Network, Asian Air Safari, and Vanguard Radio Network. Also extending support are ABS-CBN Global Ltd. (The Filipino Channel), Rolls Royce, Primax Broadcasting Network, UM Broadcasting Network (Mindanao), Fox Sports, Cignal TV, GECAS, Boeing, Lufthansa Technik AG, Manila Standard, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Dusit Thani Manila, and Casino Filipino. Official hotel is Quest Hotel Conference Center Cebu.

Fleetwood shares lead at Arnold Palmer event n Tommy Fleetwood of England plays his shot from the 12th tee during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida. AFP PHOTO

M

IAMI: Tommy Fleetwood drained two eagles en route to grabbing a share of the lead at the halfway stage of the US PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida on Friday (Saturday in Manila).

The 28-year-old Englishman, who is seeking his first title on the US Tour, posted a six-under 66 at the Bay Hill course in Orlando, Florida to tie Keegan Bradley at the top of the leaderboard with a nine-under 135 total.

Former PGA Championship winner Bradley fired a four-under 68 to seize a share of a 36-hole lead for the first time since 2013.

Fleetwood rolled in eagles on the sixth and 12th holes to become the

only player to have two eagles in a round twice this season. He also did it in his most recent start at the WGCMexico Championship.

“Hopefully, I can continue to play well around here,” said Fleetwood, who now has nine straight sub-70 second round scores on the Tour. “It was just nice to have a day like that and just constantly feel at ease, really, with hitting good golf shots.”

Fleetwood’s last tournament win came on the European Tour when he

captured the 2018 Abu Dhabi event.

His has finished runner-up twice in his career on the PGA Tour at last year’s US Open and the 2017 WGCMexico Championship.

“I’ve done a lot of good things over the last two, three years,” Fleetwood said. “That would be the next logical step to win in America or win on the PGA Tour and then see where we go from there.”

J h o n a t t a n Ve g a s a n d B i l l y Horschel are part of a group of six golfers at five-under 139, four strokes back of the Fleetwood and Bradley.

Vegas shot a two-under 70 and Horschel, who teed off in the morning group, had a 71.

First round leader Rafa Cabrera Bello

shot a 75 and is tied for ninth.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who won last year with a 18-under 270 total, fired a 70 and is tied for 31st.

“The golf course is hard,” said McIlroy. “It’s probably more of a test off the tee than the last few weeks. If I hit fairways on the weekend, I’ll feel like I’ve got a good chance.”

Among the players missing the cut by one stroke are Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh.

Former champion Mickelson missed the cut with rounds of 68 and 78.

“That’s probably the score I deserved,” he said of his 78, which included a couple of double bogeys.

AFP

E2

Golf

The Sunday Times

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

w w w.manilatimes.net

Complaining about rules not doing golf any favors O

n Justin Thomas catches his balance as he walks down a hill to line up his putt on the 11th hole during the final round of the Honda Classic golf tournament on March 3, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. AP PHOTO

BY DOUG FERGUSON

RLANDO, Fla.: The memo PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan sent to players on the new Rules of Golf can be interpreted different ways based as much on the timing as the message.

One theme was to be patient.

“We are committed to playing under these rules as we analyze their effectiveness ... and it’s important to acknowledge that we are not at the finish line yet,” Monahan said in a memo sent Monday.

Another was to look at the USGA as a partner instead of a villain.

“This is a collaborative process, one the PGA Tour has been a part of from the beginning, along with all organizations in the world of golf,” he wrote.

The hope is that it will lead players to stop complaining about the rules and simply follow them.

The latter has not been as big of a problem as the media — social or otherwise — has let on. According to ShotLink data that tracks every shot on the PGA Tour, only three penalties under the new rules have been assessed to tour members on roughly 258,000 shots hit this year.

One of them was last week in the Honda Classic when Adam Schenk was penalized two shots because his caddie was standing behind him for a tough shot out of the bunker. The caddie alignment rule already was adjusted on the fly a month earlier in Phoenix, allowing a player to avoid the penalty if he steps out of his stance.

Schenk didn’t, even though it was evident his caddie was there to

discuss the best way to play the shot, not to show him where to hit it.

No matter. Modern rules are still written in black and white.

That’s when Justin Thomas, who earlier in the week had said the new rules were “terrible,” tweeted the ruling with two hashtags: growthegame and USGA. The USGA, a convenient scapegoat from too many U.S. Opens that were marred by rules disputes (Oakmont) or course setup (Saturday at Shinnecock), decided to bite back with a tweet that was shockingly inappropriate for such an austere organization that has been around for 114 years.

It accused Thomas of canceling every meeting they had scheduled, noted that USGA rules experts were on site for five straight tournaments to start the year (Thomas played three of them) and suggested that he “call us.”

He did. And it turned nasty.

Thomas said no meetings were ever scheduled, much less canceled, and the USGA tweet was inaccurate.

The USGA soon sent another tweet thanking Thomas for getting in touch with them “offline “ (translation: privately). Monahan says USGA chief executive Mike Davis left him a message saying he would call Thomas to apologize. On Tuesday, the USGA corrected itself

with another tweet — lacking an apology — saying that Thomas did not cancel any meeting or dodge any discussion and that it valued all the players’ opinions.

So maybe the USGA deserves some credit. If not for the original tweet, odds are Monahan would not have sent the memo to players.

The message still needed to be delivered.

“It was important to remind the membership of the role we play, how important their voices are and to continue to make certain our players give us constructive feedback we need to have a proper discussion with the governing bodies,” Monahan said Tuesday at Bay Hill.

Some of the feedback hasn’t been all that constructive.

Rickie Fowler, penalized in Mexico City after failing to drop the rated. This wasn’t just a USGA and R&A function. It was everyone.

The idea that the PGA Tour should set its own rules is a dangerous path and one that doesn’t interest Monahan. He sees the professional tours working with — and being heard by — the USGA and R&A. What would those rules look like, anyway?

Rules, ancient or modern, have

ball from kneeheight, said the new rules are “not doing any favors to our sport.” Neither was Fowler by not taking ownership of his mistake, instead suggesting the rule will be changed.

Thomas thinks the new rules are terrible, a blanket statement for 24 rules, most of which have introduced common sense that have been lacking (removing a leaf from a bunker, repairing spike marks on the green, eliminating penalties for accidentally moving your ball on the green).

During five years of meetings to reshape the rules, the PGA Tour had some 50 items on its list of proposals. Tyler Dennis, the tour’s vice president of competition, said virtually all of them were i n - c o r p o provided a structure for golf at every level for more than 250 years. Why is it suddenly a problem now? What’s amazing is that as much as modern golfers look at themselves as athletes, they can’t seem to figure out how to bend ever so slightly to drop the ball at knee level.

Is it really that hard?

For all the drama created by so much unnecessary complaining, one

message Monahan wanted to make clear was to keep talking. Discussion is healthy. Reasonable debate can lead to change. Thomas did just that in Phoenix, leading to the caddiealignment tweak.

But be reasonable. Be patient.

Minus the theatrics, the knee-level drop should soon be as routine as starting up a courtesy car (with a full tank of gas).

“This is an industry in which change is not a natural act,” Monahan said Tuesday. “You have this amount of change, you’re bound to have questions. We anticipated that, and that’s where we are. Some rules are getting a lot of discussion, and they will continue to get a lot of discussion. But right now, these are the rules we’re playing under, and we need to let them perform.” AP

Mitchell’s symbol of hard work, success is watch for father

BY DOUG FERGUSON ORLANDO, Fla.: Two days after his first PGA Tour victory, Keith Mitchell still had not checked his bank account to see if his Honda Classic earnings of more than $1.2 million had cleared. That’s about $400,000 less than when he earned his entire rookie season.

Just don’t expect him to go on any shopping spree.

And to hear Mitchell talk on Tuesday, he is more inclined to spend it on someone else.

Mitchell was asked about the biggest thing he has ever bought for himself since joining the PGA Tour, and he mentioned a watch for his father.

There’s a story behind that.

“When my grandfather passed away, he gave his watch,” Mitchell said. “It was cool because my dad had given my grandfather that watch when he got out of medical school. It was like a ‘thank you’ to him. I felt like me getting on tour was like me graduating med school. So I got him a similar watch — same style, different color.”

What kind of watch?

Mitchell smiled and said, “I’ll leave that out.”

He said his father always figured he would go the education route instead of professional golf, mainly because Mitchell’s father worked hard through medical school and saw what kind of opportunities it provided.

“It was tough for him to grasp the whole golf world, because he played golf for fun,” Mitchell said.

Golf is working out pretty well for Mitchell, who earned a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour along with a spot in the Masters next month, which will be his first major.

And he has a college degree from Georgia.

Mitchell was one semester short when he finished his senior season with the Bulldogs and had thought about turning pro after the NCAA Championship. Instead, he went back and finished up his degree.

“I never wanted to say there’s a Plan B,” he said, referring to his diploma. “If you know there’s a Plan B, you don’t put as much effort on Plan A. It was just two months.

I knew if I didn’t do it, I’d look back on it forever. It was two months out of my life at age 22.”

So what does he plan to do with his Honda earnings?

“I always wanted to buy my mom a car,” he said. “She helped me get my first car. But Honda gave me the keys to a new Honda. I might go that route.”

GOLF NOTES ROOKIE AWARD Justin Thomas is the final recipient of the Arnold Palmer Award for winning the PGA Tour money title in 2018, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods (2006-07) to win the money title in consecutive years.

The next winner of the Arnold Palmer Award will be a rookie.

The PGA Tour, which now emphasizes the FedEx Cup, no longer has an award for winning the money title, which dates to 1981.

Starting this year, the Arnold Palmer Award will be given to the rookie of the year.

The rookie award dates to Robert Gamez in 1990 and is decided by a vote of PGA Tour players.

Thomas last year joined a distinguished list of players to win the money title in consecutive years — Curtis Strange, Nick Price, Vijay Singh and Woods.

PLAYER INVOLVEMENT Justin Thomas disputed a tweet from the USGA saying that he canceled any scheduled meetings over the modernized Rules of Golf, and the USGA corrected itself Tuesday by saying in another tweet that Thomas did not avoid any discussions or cancel any meetings.

Tyler Dennis, the PGA Tour’s vice president of competition, said plenty of players have tried to get up to speed on the new rules.

“We had five rules workshops in the first five weeks on Tuesday, and we had heavy attendance,” Dennis said. “We had 40 to 50 players and caddies at each one at a minimum.”

The tour also posted one-page memos on some of the more common rules, along with an illustrated poster of those rules in locker rooms. He said the tour’s rules officials produced 15 videos on how to make a drop and take relief, and there has been “a lot of traffic” on a player-only website.

“Change is hard,” Dennis said. “But they’ve really tried hard to learn the rules.”

AMERICANS IN EUROPE Kurt Kitayama, who grew up in Northern California and played at UNLV, extended a most unusual trend when he won the Oman Open last week.

That gave Americans six victories through 12 events on the European Tour this season.

That includes two by Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player, who won the Saudi International and the WGC-Mexico Championship. It also includes Bryson DeChambeau, who won the Dubai Desert Classic.

Kitayama previously won the Mauritius Open in just his third start since earning his European Tour card through Q-school.

The other was David Lipsky at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa at the end of last year. Lipsky was born in Los Angeles and played his college golf at Northwestern.

Lipsky and Kitayama are in the field this week at the Qatar Masters, along with Americans Sean Crocker and Charlie Saxon.

OPEN QUALIFYING A month before the first major is played at the Masters, spots are on the line for the British Open in July.

The Open Qualifying Series for PGA Tour e ve n t s t y p i c a l l y doesn’t start until tournaments leading up to the Open.

This year, the first such event is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

The top three players not already exempt who finish among the top 10 at Bay Hill will be exempt for Royal Portrush on July 17-21.

Of the 120-man field, 39 players already are exempt.

PERSONAL CONNECTION PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan wanted a young player as a partner when he played the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and he selected Keith Mitchell.

They were going along fine as a team until the end, when they missed the cut based on matching scorecards.

Monahan’s father, Jay, was his caddie for the week.

Mitchell didn’t advance individually either, hurt by a four-putt double bogey on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach. He missed the cut at Riviera the following week and took the following week off to reset his thinking and pay more attention to his shots than the score. A week later, he won the Honda Classic.

Monahan was happy for him. Apparently, so was Monahan’s father.

“My dad was driving home from Vero Beach, pulled off the side of the road at a gas station and watched him play the final hole,” Monahan said.

DIVOTS Sung Hyun Park returned to No. 1 in the women’s world ranking with her victory in Singapore. It’s the third time Park has reached No. 1. Her longest stay was 11 weeks last season. ... Women’s British Open champion Georgia Hall and Thidapa Suwannapura are the only players to have competed in all five LPGA Tour events this year. ... British Open champion Francesco Molinari has signed an endorsement contract to play Callaway’s clubs (driver, fairway metals, irons, wedges, putter) and carry a staff bag. ...

British-based bookmaker Betfred is the new title sponsor of the British Masters, to be played May 9-12 at Hillside Golf Club. Tommy Fleetwood, who grew up in Southport, England, is the tournament host this year. ...

STAT OF THE WEEK This is the fifth straight time that a player rose to No. 1 in the world ranking without playing the previous week.

FINAL WORD

n Keith Mitchell celebrates as he sinks his putt on the 18th hole to win the final round of the Honda Classic golf tournament on March 3, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. AP PHOTO

“I’ll play out here as long as they’ll let me, as long as I’m exempt, just to keep going back for that feeling.” — Keith Mitchell, on the 15-foot walk to the hole after making birdie to win the Honda Classic.

AP

PAGE FROM THE PAST

Today, we look back at an old front page of The Manila Times, the oldest national daily that was founded on October 11, 1898. (Note: This image was adjusted to fit the page.)

E4

Golf

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

FOR announcements on tournaments, rankings and other golf-related events, email the sports editor at pgs_mallari@manilatimes.net

The Sunday Times

w w w.manilatimes.net

11th Phoenix Open Golf Tournament fires off March 16 The 11th Phoenix Open Golf Tournament will tee off on March 16 at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Davao City.

More than 200 golfers from here and abroad are expected to vie for the title.

Among the prizes at stake are P1 million cash, a Harley-Davidson 2019 Sportster Iron 883, two Tata Manza Petrol cars, and P100,000 worth of Phoenix Petroleum fuels and lubricant..

“Rancho Palos is ready to host this momentous and grand tournament. We have made our prepa-

n SMC Media Affairs Group Head Mary Jane Llanes, RMN’s Ely Saludar (1st runner-up), Manila Standard’s Roger Garcia (champion), Business Mirror’s Anton Cabangon Chua (2nd runner-up), and SMC Media Affairs Group Manager Jayson Brizuela. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

DZBB’s Trinidad tops SMC media tournament

BY JEAN RUSSEL V. DAVID ORLY Trinidad of radio station DZBB carded a 74 gross to emerge as overall champion in the San Miguel Corporation Media Invitational Golf Tournament held recently at the WackWack Golf and Country Club West Course.

Meanwhile, the winners in Class A, Class B, and Class C were Manila Standard Today’s Roger Garcia (70 net), DZRH’s Ricky Alegre (72

net) and People’s Journal’s Marlon Purificacion (80 net).

RMN’s Ely Saludar (71 net) finished second and Business Mirror’s Anton Cabangon Chua (72 net) third in Class A. The Class B runners-up were DZAR’s Mike Abe and Manila Bulletin’s Ding Marcelo. Abe and Marcelo both scored 72s but the former scored better at 47-50 in the last nine holes.

Balita’s Edwin Rollon (80 net)

PSME Cavite Chapter Invitational tilt opens April 5 THE 1st PSME Cavite Chapter Invitational Golf Tournament will tee off on April 5 at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in General Trias City, Cavite.

Organized by the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME), the inaugural tournament will be played over 18 holes at Eagle Ridge’s Aoki golf course.

The tournament is part of the organization’s recreational program to encourage their members to pursue an active lifestyle.

On-course registration begins at 6 a.m. followed by the tee off at 7:30 a.m.

For inquiries and registration, contact PSME Cavite Chapter at 09158993963, 09177083728, or 09178691962.

and Manila Bulletin’s Badong Hilario (81 net), finished second and third, respectively, in Class C. Fun hole awards went to ABSCBN’s Jun Sepe (nearest to the pin), Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Conrad Banal (most accurate drive) and Jong Arcano (longest drive).

SMC Media Affairs Group Head Mary Jane Llanes and SMC Media Affairs Group Manager Jayson Brizuela presided during the awarding of prizes.

Fifty reporters from print, broadcast, and online participated in the tourney that was supported by SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. through BMW Philippines, SMC Infrastructure, San Miguel Brewery, Inc., San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corp., San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp., Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., Makati Diamond Residences, Northern Cement Corporation, San Miguel Pure Foods Co., Inc., and Petron Corporation.

rations months before to ensure that our golfers will have their best time playing here,” said Tomas Iñigo, general manager of Rancho Palos Verdes.

Entry fee is P7,500, inclusive of a Rudy Project golf shirt and cap, a limited-edition Phoenix golf bag, travel cover and umbrella. Participants can compete in team, partner, and individual categories.

The charity tournament aims to raise funds for the Phoenix Philippines Foundation that supports more than 30 schools nationwide.

MVPSF Visayas Regional Golf meet begins April 8 THE 4th MVPSF Visayas Regional Golf Championship will unfold on April 8 to 12 at the Cebu Country Club in Banilad, Cebu City.

The golf tournament, organized by the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP), will start with a two-day stroke play qualifying tournament from April 8 to 9.

Only the top 16 male and female golfers will advance to the match play competition. In the event of ties, the first and last qualifying slots for all categories will be resolved by sudden death playoff.

Men’s player with a certified handicap index of 9.7 below

and lady amateur players with 10-handicap below will be accepted to play.

Entry fee for local participants is P3,000 while P4,000 and P1,5000 for foreign players and club members, respectively.

The entry fee will cover the green fee, one practice round and lunch during the awarding ceremony.

Deadline for entries is on April 5.

For registration, call the NGAP office at (02)706-5926 or email at ngap2009handicap@yahoo. com. Players may also register at the Cebu Country Club by calling (032) 231-0345 local 146.

Me Cup tourney takes off April 8 in Antipolo THE Forest Hills Golf and Country Club in Antipolo City will host the Me Cup on April 8.

The member-employee golf

tournament will follow a three-person scramble format (member, employee, and the caddie).

Registration begins at 6:30 a.m.

followed by the shotgun tee off at 7:30 a.m. at the Aoki Course.

Entry fee for members and guests is P2,500 and P500 for em-

ployees, caddies, Security, PMS, Par 72, and Golforce members.

For registration, email frontdesk@foresthills-golf.com.

n The Forest Hills Golf and Country Club in Antipolo City CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

14th Pomelo Tee rolls off May 1 in Davao City THE 14th Pomelo Tee will fire off on May 1 to4 at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Mandug-Indangan, Buhangin, Davao City.

The four-day annual member-guest tournament is expected to draw more than 200 entries.

The event aims to raise funds for the charitable projects of the Pomelo Tee Foundation Incorporated among them college scholarship for selected workers and caddies’ dependent. Part of the proceeds will also be used

to provide educational equipment and other learning materials to Mandug High School and Indangan High School.

Entry fee is P6,000, inclusive of two-day, one mulligan per nine holes.

The tournament’s team and individual categories will follow a 36-hole stroke play under the modified Stableford scoring system.

For registration, contact Rancho Palos at (082) 3300859, 09177705528, 09156032302, or 09173121887.

PASIA tourney opens March 29 THE Procurement and Supply Institute of Asia (PASIA) will hold a golf tournament for supply chain professionals and logistics providers on March 29, next year at the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Carmona, Cavite.

Riding on the success of its golf tournament last October, PASIA is pushing its advocacy for ethics, excellence, and e-enablement in another edition of the tilt.

Registration is ongoing with an entry fee of P5,500 ($105) for

non-members and P4,500 ($85) for Manila Southwoods members inclusive of green fee, shared golf cart use, caddie fee, buffet lunch, cocktails, and raffle entry..

Players can avail of the 4+1 promo if they bring

in their colleagues.

For inquiries, call PASIA and Transprocure Shared Services Office at 09178243330, 09199124789 or (02) 844-2680, or email the organizer at info@ transprocure.com or visit www.transpocure.com.

AmCham ChariTEE Golf unfolds April 5

EASY WIN

EZ Par Golf Club chases the 33rd PAL Interclub Seniors Friendship Division Championship last March 2, 2019 at J Centre Mall, Cebu City. (Left to right) AVP for Mindanao Sales Vic Suarez, EZ Par team members Edgar Sigisi, Phil Abrla, Jimmy de Guzman, Oscar Asuncion, Cesar Cajigas, Bert Luminarias, Vic Zalamea and Cesar Lopez with PAL VP for Revenue Management Dina Mae Flores. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

THE American Chamber Foundation of the Philippines’ 33rd AmCham ChariTEE Golf Tournament will fire off on April 5 at the Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmariñas City, Cavite.

The annual golf tilt that serves as a venue for recreation and networking for AmCham members also aims to raise funds for the AmCham Foundation’s youth development programs.

Listing is ongoing with an entry fee of P4,500, inclusive

of green fee, caddie fee, shared golf cart use, buffet breakfast and lunch, souvenirs, and raffle entry.

Registration begins at 6 a.m. followed by the shotgun tee off at 7:30 a.m.

The tournament will employ a System 36 format.

Actor John Estrada captured the tilt’s overall low gross plum last year at the same venue.

For details, contact the organizers at 867-2426 or email at candy@amchamphilippines.com.

The Sunday Times

Inspiration.

Celebrity.

Style.

March 10, 2019 Volume 118 | No. 82

SENATOR NANCY BINAY

Empowered woman, empowered netizen •

LITERARY LIFE

FILIPINO CHAMPIONS

ARTS AWAKE

‘Homecoming’

Inspiring Filipinas in this digital age

Taiwan’s Chimei Museum

F2

F3

F8

Literary Life F2

SUNDAY March 10, 2019 Last of two parts

B

EYOND Nanay Pacing’s line of sight, something massive let out a rumbling noise that rattled everything inside the bus — the metal railings overhead, the dilapidated seats, and the bags and cartons that lay on the aisle. Most of the passengers crossed themselves. Some kissed hitherto hidden rosaries and murmured urgent prayers.

Over the restlessness that suddenly reigned, the conductor shouted.

“Guinobatan!”

The conductor walked over to Nanay Pacing and offered her hand. “Nay, this is your stop.”

Nanay Pacing started to gather her things, but remembered the call the congressman made earlier, informing her that he had her husband transferred from the elementary school in Guinobatan, which served as an evacuation center, to his house in Legazpi.

Her daughter had, indeed, left. Nanay Pacing’s sister, Esiang, who took care of the Legazpi house, would tend to Naldo in the meantime.

“No. Sorry, I’m getting off at the terminal. I’ll just pay for the difference.”

“Ah. Okay. Don’t worry. Barya lang ‘yon,” the conductor said before heading back to the front of the bus to usher out the passengers who were alighting by the roadside.

When the doctor described to her then how a blood vessel had ruptured in Naldo’s brain, Nanay Pacing had imagined it was like the mountain erupting­— the blood spewing like lava, then flowing in rivulets throughout his brain, following paths that had been carved by unseen hands of unspeakable power. She had always thought it fitting that her sturdy husband, who seemed as if he were carved from rock like Daga himself, would fall not by the hands of other people, but by the unseen hand of God. His fall was in keeping with every illusion that she had built around him, that he was made of sterner stuff than most, impervious to the elements, and only something invisible, and therefore powerful, could really hurt him.

Yet, she had failed to take into account her own strength — of body and will — in all this. She had always thought, especially when she was younger and enamored of the devotion shown by Naldo during their extended courtship, that when circumstances demanded that she reciprocate the patience shown to her, she would be up to the task. She had either overestimated her own capability for caring, or underestimated just how taxing it was to have to care for the sick, and to have to take over responsibilities that the patient could no longer fulfill. She was willing, at first. She attended to her husband to the point that she had become fully attuned to his needs. She was able to sense when he had to pee or drink even without his prompting, know when it was time for him to take his medicine without glancing at the wall clock. She knew what it was like to perform one’s duty. She was adept, even. Did she not, for years, take care of her mother who had refused to die, spurred on, it seemed, by her hostility to the idea of her daughter getting married?

She could do it, too, for her husband.

A WASTELAND straight out the movies her employers loved to watch on their massive television screen greeted Nanay Pacing as she stepped down from the bus. Thick ash everywhere.

She didn’t breathe so much as snort a soupy mass, like fine, wet sand, which she was sure would fill her lungs until she suffocated. Her nose flared from the noxiousness. She was seized by a tuberculoid fit of coughing, and her whole body contracted from the effort. She put on her spectacles, then draped her shawl around her head, fixing it so that the eyeglasses could serve like a protective visor. With the air somehow filtered by the shawl’s sturdy fabric, she heaved a sigh of relief. She exhaled again, as she found that she liked the way the mist of her breath settled warmly on her nose and mouth, reminding her of the steam of kinalas that she’d eat in stalls near the market whenever she came home.

As the tricycle she rented struggled to climb the hill where the congressman’s house stood, which boasted of a magnificent view, she tried to turn the day’s events over in her head. The juddering of the welded metal messed with her concentration. She had tried to call her daughter throughout the trip, signal permitting. The number she had dialed rang until a female voice told her in a clipped tone that it was “out of service.” On her fourth try, she heard only a crackling sound, then the same disembodied female voice which she knew wasn’t her daughter, so she didn’t bother

SHORT STORY

Homecoming

BY HANS PIETER L. ARAO

hearing what the message was and ended the call.

Was she surprised that her daughter abandoned her father, whose right half was rendered inutile by the stroke that, by all rights, should have killed him a decade ago? She had to admit that she wasn’t. Her daughter, after all, was as capricious as the mountain that loomed over their lives. Being magayon, so beautiful — Nanay Pacing was convinced she carried the child only as a surrogate for the Mountain Spirit — she could get away with succumbing to the dictates of her whims. Five years ago, she dropped out of college a year away from graduation, having decided to marry the son of a businessman who had gotten her pregnant.

Nanay Pacing resented her then, not because of the wasted money — her expenses had been taken care of by the scholarship grant that the congressman had offered, after all. Rather, she felt aggrieved because, though it was left unsaid, her daughter’s pregnancy was a means to escape a house whose air had become suffocating due to her father’s decaying state.

Deep within her, Nanay Pacing nurtured the sentiment that her daughter abandoned her to a life of dealing with her husband alone. She had resolved not to let what she felt escape her heart that was calcified by the meanness of her circumstances. The odd pains in her chest reassured her that, instead of seeking light, her true feeling had found comfort in the darkness within.

Naldo, whose rehabilitation was also paid from the congressman’s lucre, seemed as if he had given up on himself. In the months after his stroke, during which he looked intent on recovery, Nanay Pacing detected a glint of steel in his eyes as he tottered with the aid of a four-legged aluminum cane, a thick rubber band about his waist tethering him to a physical therapist who stood by his elbow, waiting to catch him should his balance fail him.

NANAY PACING OFTEN WONDERED ABOUT WHAT HER HUSBAND FELT ABOUT HIS CONDITION. WAS HE EVEN ABLE TO THINK OF IT AT ALL? OR HAD HIS DEGENERATION COME TO THE POINT THAT HE WAS MORE ANIMAL THAN MAN, A CREATURE WHOSE SENSE OF THINGS REVOLVED ONLY AROUND ITS BASE IMPULSES? DURING THE TIMES WHEN SHE WAS FLOORED WITH EXHAUSTION SHE WOULD WISH THAT HE WOULD JUST…DIE.

He was overwhelmed, though, by the effort of relearning speech. His eyes would well up as he tried to untwist his tongue from the grotesque position that resulted from his convulsion. He would howl in frustration, unable to imitate the sounds of the letters printed on flashcards that the therapist made him repeat. His primal screams had made Nanay Pacing’s hair stand on end, planting in her mind’s eye the image of a pig being led to slaughter. In the end, he just surrendered after weeks of struggle.

Nanay Pacing often wondered about what her husband felt about his condition. Was he even able to think of it at all? Or had his degeneration come to the point that he was more animal than man, a creature whose sense of things revolved only around its base impulses? During the times when she was floored with exhaustion she would wish that he would just…die. All of them would be the better for it. How many pills would he have to take so he could depart peacefully while sleeping? Or maybe he could have another rupture while he defecated. At first, it had filled her with shame that she could even entertain such thoughts. But with years passing by and all of them still in the same rut, she couldn’t help but sometimes give voice to her darkest thoughts and shout at him, Why won’t you just die, with such force she was surprised he hadn’t indeed died on the spot. But her madness always passed and instantly she would be wracked with guilt, for which she compensated by lavishing her attention on him. In kinder moments she remembered tender facets of their relationship. Like how he convinced her that the angry lines on her skin shouldn’t bother her. Or how he said her destiny wasn’t beholden to anyone, not even to her mother. She was free to do as she pleased, he had said.

Over a cup of coffee, as she’d watch the sun’s light as it fully dispersed into the dark mantle of dusk, she would allow herself to be lost in her memories.

Her daughter’s baby was stillborn. After a year, she made the opposite journey, going back to the house of her childhood, having had enough of the jealous outbursts of her husband. Barely a month after her daughter’s return, the opportunity to leave home was presented to Nanay Pacing, with the congressman pleading for her to supervise his household in Pasig, rather than the farmland in Guinobatan on whose soil her family’s hut stood.

When she left, she tried to block out the memory of her husband, who was sitting on a rattan chair by the doorway, bawling like an oversized and malformed baby. You’re doing this for him, so you can buy medicine and food, Nanay Pacing had repeated to herself, praying that her mantra would drown out the lingering sound of Naldo’s wailing accusation of abandonment.

Having gained another perspective from the distance between them, Nanay Pacing realized that her escape — for that was what it was, no matter how she justified it — was necessary. When one tends to the sick, he or she, too, gets a sickness of another kind, one that cannot be seen by others, yet is there all the same, an undercurrent that defines one’s relationship with others. Their separation was a requirement for her own convalescence, she knew it now. Yet, until now, she couldn’t answer whether her own recovery was worth the price of their parting. She had taken care of her mother despite the resentment they harbored for each other. That was duty. That was what family meant.

That was what she should have done, what she failed to do. But her choice weighed much less on her soul than she had expected it to.

As Nanay Pacing entered the spacious living room of the Dellosas, she spied her husband sitting on a butaka.

He was picking at something on his limp hand. It had only been three months since she last saw him, but the changes were evident. His cheeks were hollower.

His hair seemed wilted, conspicuous for its absence of black. It wasn’t white or gray; it simply lacked any color. A ghost’s suggestion of hair.

“Dong,” she whispered.

The sound of his name petered out as soon as it left her lips. She was uncertain if she had even spoken.

Naldo looked up, uncomprehending, then broke out in a lopsided smile when he saw his wife walking hesitantly toward him. When Nanay Pacing finally stood in front of him half of his face was scrunched up; the other half was lax, unfeeling. A tear trailed down his cheek. She could feel something burn behind her eyes.

“Sing!”

He gestured with the hand that could still move. Then, again, the only syllable he could pronounce distinctly.

“Sing!”

Nanay Pacing held out her hand tentatively. Already she preferred the toxic air outside. There, at least, she could put on her improvised veil and breathe freely.

She knew that here, inside the spacious and luminous house whose walls and antique furniture were kept free of dust by zealous servants like herself, her lungs should take in air that was unadulterated. She, however, found her breathing more constricted indoors.

Standing before a man who was a shell of what he once was, Nanay Pacing could not feel the same emotion that sprang from the arid desert of her heart that a child not her own could evoke. Nanay Pacing held out her hand, repeating to herself that surely, her daughter would come to her senses soon and come back home. n

Cultural Center of the Philippines to hold ‘Readathon,’ zine fair IN celebration of March as Women’s Month this year, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), in cooperation with Women Playwrights International-Philippines (WPIP), will host “Readathon: Dramatic Reading of Plays by Women 2019” at the CCP’s Silangan Hall from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on

March 15 and 16.

This event aims to show the creativity and talent of female playwrights as their works are read by a group of theater performers.

Aside from the performances, there will be a “Gandang Ganda Sa Sariling Gawa” zine fair by

THE Literary Life page of The Sunday Times Magazine is now accepting contributions of new, original and unpublished short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, preferably in English, from emerging and established writers. Works must be encoded in Microsoft Word using the typefaces Arial, Times New Roman, or Palatino Linotype, font size 12 and letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11 inches),

its co-organizer Gantala Press on March 16. It will sell books, zines and artworks created by different women.

Attending this event will not only empower female artists in the country, but also help audiences gain new ideas and become inspired to make their own

and saved in either .doc or .rtf format. Each short story and creative nonfiction piece should be between ten (10) and twenty (20) pages (double-spaced), while each poem should be limited to only one (1) page (single-spaced).

Works littered with glaring grammatical and typographical errors will not be considered. Send your works to the literary editor, Alvin I. Dacanay, at literarylife[at]

masterpieces as they patronize women’s works.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, send an email to Ariane Sagales at sagalesarianesae@gmail.com or call 0927776-6893.

manilatimes[dot]net. Kindly put the genre and title of the work in the email’s subject line (example: Short Story: Dead Stars). Authors whose creative works are published in the magazine agree to have these included in literary anthologies that The Manila Times may conceive and publish in the future. Full copyright ownership of the works shall remain with their respective authors.

Filipino Champions The Sunday Times

Sunday March 10, 2019

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Inspiring Filipinas in this digital age

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Turning limitations to opportunities through ‘digiskarte’

ne unique trait that defines Filipinos is being madiskarte. Amid limitations, Filipinos have proven — wherever they may be or whatever situation they could be in — that being resourceful and creative in finding opportunities to learn new skills can help improve their lives.

In celebration of Women’s Month, digital platform Google pays tribute to Filipino women who have mastered the art of turning limitations to opportunities.

In this digital age, the trait is aptly called "Digiskarte" — a portmanteau of digital and diskarte — where some ladies are inspiring their own communities with stories of how they created their own livelihood, chased their dreams, and showcased their true potential through the help of YouTube.

Audrey, food cart owner Cheerful and optimistic, Audrey is a family-oriented Filipina who has dedicated her time to making sure that she earns enough to provide the best education for her kids. Despite being busy to put her family first, she still found way to build something for herself when she established her food cart business.

More than being a housewife, Audrey proved to be very entrepreneurial when she put up her small business in the town of Cuenca in Batangas. Her success story is rooted from a simple search of “how to cook fishball sauce” on YouTube. She’s keen on further growing her business and offering more than fishball, so she goes online to YouTube for recipes on hamburgers, tacos, and nachos.

Josephine, creative selftaught DIY extraordinaire Josephine knows how to keep herself busy and productive. On top of being a mother to four kids, she is active in her duties in their barangay as a marshall, an officer for the women’s health and nutrition division, and a helping hand to malnourished kids and providing rural employment to women. However, two years ago, she discovered a new skill that would change her life.

When they were renovating their house, one of her kids introduced her

Josephine

to DIY videos on YouTube and her creative juices started to flow with every home improvement videos she watches. She even learned to make and design special type of plant pots, which now fills her entire garden. Their family living room is decorated with stools she created out of upcycled tires and ropes, which she also learned from YouTube and she hopes to channel her newfound passion to a business.

YouTube as agent of women empowerment

Lauren Mae, arts and handicrafts expert A young mother at 24, Lauren is already familiar with the hardships that come with starting a family. To focus on her new life, she made a very tough decision to stop working and take care of her one-year-old, but this did not hinder her from continuing to grow. Having access to the internet and discovering YouTube meant learning new skills for her. Online, she was able to come across how-to videos on crochet, as well as good recipes ideal for business.

Her interest for entrepreneurship grew as she started making what she saw on YouTube — from crochet cups and bags, miniature shoes, DIY giveaways, and even homemade ice cream. She is looking forward to pro-

»what'sonwhere

events for women, by women

‘FilipinAmazing’ at Araneta Center, 'Most Stylish' at the Shang

Jill Ngo

YouTube has helped Audrey and her husband put up a sustainable food cart business

Regine Tolentino

In celebration of International Women’s Month 2019, the Araneta Center stages “FilipinAmazing: Honoring Filipino Women at the Araneta Center,” a series of activities that focus on empowering Filipinas.

It opened with the #DontTellMeHowToDress Exhibit, aimed to raise awareness on the issues of rape, violence against women, and sexual harassment. Inaugurated by Ambassador Harald Fries of Embassy of Sweden, United Nations Population Fund Representative Iori Kato, and Vickie Garchitorena of SPARK! on March 1 at the Gateway Mall, #DontTellMeHowToDressExhibit ran from March 1 to 8.

A free fitness party was held at the Manhattan Row on March 2, led by The Addlib Dance Studio. Heart Evangelista Dubbed as the “Neon Fitness Party,” the activity included lessons from bellydance goddess Jill Ngo, with Regine Tolentino leading the Zumba session.

Miss Intercontinental 2018 Karen Gallman, Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Eva Patalinjug, and Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Jehza Huelar also came to groove!

To promote artisanal Pinay-made items, Women’s Bazaar will be held at the Gateway Mall from March 15 to 17. The bazaar will highlight the products made by women from Sparksponsored communities, including those from Marawi.

Meanwhile, Shangri-La Plaza puts women front and center �and aptly so �for 2019痴 International Women痴 Month celebrations.

Metro.Style curates a pantheon of fashionable women for its Metro Most Stylish 2019 exhibition, which runs from March 1 to 12 at the East Atrium. The roster includes Heart Evangelista, Kim Jones, Rocio Olbes, Bea Valdez, Pam Quinones, Martine Cajucom, Salome Uy, Apples Aberin, Bea Alonzo, and Bea Soriano-Dee. On March 14 to 19 at the East Atrium and March 20 to 31 at Shaw Hallway, Level 1, a photography of scenes from nature are collectively show in the exhibit titled, “From the Lens of Eve.” Featuring idyllic landscapes and the stories that surround them, the showcase highlights the works of Annabelle Casiño Chavez, Lauren Malcampo, Maryanne Mendoza, Jen Perez, and Atty. Myla Santos-Orden.

Lauren Mae

Antoneth

vide a better life for her family with her new skill set.

proper training to put up a salon establishment, she persevered and found the help she needed from YouTube.

Watching videos about nail art, hair tutorials, and makeup routines, she was able to keep up with the trends and perfect her skills. She continues to find inspirations and fresh ideas for her businesses through the digital platform. Now, her salon in Cuenca is one of the most frequented in their community and even by locals from neighboring towns.

Antoneth, beauty parlor owner Since she was 16, Antoneth has been interested in cosmetology and anything about beauty. This is why it was a dream come true for her when she was able to open her own beauty parlor business.

Despite lacking the resources and

Google Philippines Industry Head Gara Santos-Ontiveros shared that there are many Filipinas who carry stories of how they went online to connect themselves to opportunities.

“It’s very fulfilling for us to see that we are able to inspire Filipinas through YouTube. It’s very tied to the mission of Google which is to organize content to make it easier for people to access information,” she said.

Making it simpler for Filipinas to find what they need online, Google Philippines introduces “Digiskarteng Pinay” powered by YouTube to provide curated local content that will help upskill Filipinas. The initiative is brought to life with partners from NGOs, government agencies, brands, and even content creators including TV host Bianca Gonzalez-Intal and online lecturer Lyqa Maravilla.

The Digiskarteng Pinay channel will have videos on food recipes, financial literacy, practical life skills, lessons and techniques in mathematics, and even technical education. YouTube is also open to interested partners who want to help Filipinas become madiskarte.

A woman called mom

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his is the role of the mother. And in that visit I really saw clearly, for the first time, why a mother is really important.

Not just because she feeds and also loves and also cuddles... but because in an interesting and maybe an eerie and other worldly way, she stands in the gap. She stands between the unknown and the known.” – Maya Angelou, ‘Mom & Me & Mom’ My mother is a character, a walking contradiction. She is both sweet and feisty, headstrong, and the ultimate pusong mamon. She stands her ground and yet easily forgives. My mom has a sharp personality – she is the first person to fight for the underdog and the first one to see through any lies or deception.

Through the years, I have seen my mom carry our family through life’s trials and storms. I have also seen her celebrate our victories – she has her own way of celebrating her children’s victories. She is always honest about anything and anyone and never holds back.

My mom is my first call whenever something good or bad happens. She is the one I share my day’s stories with and the one I vent my frustrations too (mom would always be on her children’s side no matter what). My mom was also the person who cried with me when I got my heart broken for the very first time and the person who stayed up all night making sure my brother and I were comfortable when we got hit by the chickenpox.

Her tough exterior sometimes makes me forget all the wonderful things about her.

She is the number one giver of tough love and it is only lately that I have learned to appreciate that more. Despite her toughness, I know that she only does it out of love and I know that I would not be where I am today without. If she chose to parent any other way, my brothers and I will not have the strength to fight for the things we want or go after the life we have dreamed of when we were younger.

It has been said that you only appreciate your parents when you have a life of your own and today, a few days before a mile-

the thought junkie carla bianca ravanes-higham stone birthday, I would like to express my gratitude to my mom who has survived a million and one things and have emerged from it unscathed. Despite what she went through when she was younger, my mom has come out of her own personal storms still a person filled with love and grounded in her faith. A large part of my faith is because of how my mom raised me, she would always be the first person to say that God will never leave His children and that no matter what, His plans are always better.

Today, I appreciate my mom and moms everywhere. It takes a lot to give up your own life to tend to the life of your own children and that is exactly what my mom has done. She turned her back on her own dreams to make sure ours come true. She

gave up her own career to make sure that we were ready for ours and most importantly, she was never one who would hold back in taking care of her family.

For as long as I can remember, my mom would be the first one up everyday to make sure that we had food on the table and our things were ready for school and later on, work. She has dedicated her entire life to us and I would like to think that my life would be different if she didn’t do so.

I take this time this Sunday to thank her for all her sacrifices and to celebrate her life, none of her sacrifices went unnoticed and we are all looking forward to this milestone birthday and the many more years to come.

I hope this week’s article inspires you to think of your mother, pick up the phone, and call her because surely mothers are God’s greatest gifts to us.

Happy birthday, Mom! The best is yet to come! *** www.carlabiancaravanes.com

My mother is a character, a walking contradiction. She is both sweet and feisty, headstrong, and the ultimate pusong mamon.

Cover Story The Sunday Times

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SUNDAY March 10, 2019

S E N AT O R N A N C Y B I N AY

Empowered woman, empowered netizen

BY TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA

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HANKS to bashers who are quick to poke fun at Senator Nancy Binay’s skin color, the 45-year-old legislator probably has the most effective political ad among her opponents in the coming elections.

Titled “Uling,” the Filipino word for charcoal and often used by netizens to describe the reelectionist senator’s complexion, Binay and her team ingeniously used the imagery in a dramatic expression of her very intention for the Filipino people.

permanently etched in the minds of Filipinos, most recent of which her curious and somewhat awkward expression beside Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray at the beauty queen’s courtesy call at the Senate.

By the way, a quick search on

COVER PHOTO BY GERARD SEGUIA, ADDITIONAL PHOTOS FROM SEN. NANCY BINAY’S OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE AND TMT FILE PHOTOS Google will actually unleash more flattering photos of Binay beside Gray, but no. Her online bashers — add mainstream media to the fray — would have nothing of a nice Nancy Binay photo on their websites and publications. It has to

be that lone and “lucky” snapshot sure to draw the most laughs that is always picked from the pack.

“I actually don’t remember what I was thinking at that moment when I was caught on camera looking at Miss Universe,” Binay chuckled

Si Nancy Binay daw ‘sing itim ng uling.

Pero ang uling ‘di ba ‘pag nag apoy, ang laking pakinabang sa atin?

Ganyan din si Nancy Binay.

Nag-aalab ang puso niya sa mga nangangailangan.

Mainit ang pagtanggap niya sa bawat lumalapit.

Kaya ituring mo nang uling si Nancy Binay.

Damdamin naman niya’y nagaalab sa pagsisilbi.

Now that — simply on the level of awareness — can easily bag another win for Binay this coming May according campaign spinners, while also demonstrating how the political scion rationally used negativity to empower her public persona, rather than feel insulted or seethe with anger.

For what voter can ignore the senator’s poignant message amid a mound of blackened wood, coming to life with fiery red embers all symbolizing her passion to serve?

Then there are the endless memes that have become a given in Binay’s public life since she first became senator in 2013. Memes that keep the name and face of Nancy Binay

Combining Sen. Nancy Binay’s online fame with a more substantial awareness on her notable performance at the 16th and 17th Congress, according to campaign experts, is a potent formula for her reelection.

The Sunday Times

magazine TESSA MAURICIO-ARRIOLA Editor ALVIN I. DACANAY Literary Editor CHRISTINA ALPAD IZA IGLESIAS Staff Writers ARLO CUSTODIO Deskman *** PETER BAGA ZENAIDA D. ERISPE MARJORIE T. DIZON ENRICO D. BERATA JOANNA C. UMADHAY HORACIO MAKABENTA Layout Artists *** DANTE FRANCIS M. ANG 2ND President & CEO *** Telephone: 524-5664 to 66 Telefax: 521-6897 • 521-6872 Subscription: 528-1319 www.manilatimes.net Website lifestyle@manilatimes.net E-mail

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Not one to trumpet her achievements as a neophyte senator, helping others is still top of mind when Binay goes out on the campaign trail, even sharing her personal experiences in online bullying if it can make a difference.

good-naturedly when The Sunday Times Magazine asked what was going on in her mind to merit the now infamous expression.

“Ang natatandaan ko lang habang nakaupo ako doon, ang daming cameras in front of us and ano nga kaya yung itsura ko, kasi baka nga makunan ako doing something I’m not conscious about—just like they always do at the [Senate] sessions. “ Ang dami kong candid shots na ganun ‘di ba? Na parang I’m making faces when I’m actually not,” she laughed again.

“But I guess I just have to accept na given na ‘yun sa akin, na ‘pag may camera they’ll always be on the lookout for those kinds of shots,” Binay declared with a casual shrug of the shoulders. And believe it or not, the lady legislator did not seem the least bit affected by this pointless and unconstructive routine around her, even when many observers already deem it bordering on disrespect.

She is after all a duly elected Senator of the Philippines, well-educated and a mother and wife too.

Yet come to think of it, Binay was just as cool and sport when The Sunday Times Magazine met her after she wore the now infamous “Hot Air Balloon” gown to the 2014 State of the Nation Address (SONA). A Randy Ortiz couture in fact, which the senator admitted she wore the wrong way, the modernized terno instantly became the butt of jokes on the Internet and mainstream media the moment she set foot in Batasang Pambansa. It was the gown that set off a tradition among her critics, and to a certain extent the general public, to go on a Nancy Binay Fashion Watch SONA after SONA, spawning meme after meme.

But six years on, with bashers ever relentless in watching her every move, expression and outfit, and tirelessly calling out her unchanging skin color, when will she finally say enough is enough?

For Binay, she is confident she will never reach the tipping point when it comes to public ridicule on her physical appearance. Again, the Uling ad is proof of this woman’s remarkable attitude, patience and understanding when she is practically a victim of what other nationalities would even consider a shameful trait among Filipinos. “ Unang-una, I know myself so why should I get offended? Nakakatawa naman po talaga eh. And why shouldn’t I be entertained kung entertaining naman yung memes?

Because beyond all that, I know who I am and I also know that I have shown the public my worth as a senator,” explained the once political greenhorn whose experience as chief of staff during her father former Vice President Jejomar Binay’s tenure as Makati City mayor was absolutely belittled when she first ran for senator.

“Yes, they all laugh at the memes and the candid pictures that go viral about me, but — and I say this as a person who doesn’t like talking about myself or what I’ve achieved [in the Senate] — I know

Cover Story The Sunday Times

SUNDAY March 10, 2019 that I have helped people, I know that’s what they see at the end of the day, and I know that’s what I want to continue to do.”

To be sure, in winning a second term, combining Binay’s online fame with a more substantial awareness on her notable performance at the 16th and 17th Congress would be more potent than just the Uling ad.

As the Philippine Senate’s records make public, “Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy Sombillo Binay [chairperson of the Senate Committees on Tourism, Cultural Communities, and Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, among others] remains true to her promise to be the ‘Nanay de Pamilya’ in the Senate. During the 16th Congress, she filed 119 bills and 151 resolutions advocating the interests of women and children, the youth, the elderly, and housing for the poor.

“In the same Congress, three of her bills became law: An Act Repealing the Crime of Premature Marriage under Article 251 of the Revised Penal Code (R.A. 10655), Sugarcane Industry Development Act of 2015 (R.A. 10659), and An Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons with Disability (R.A. 10754).

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, she sponsored the passage of the Centenarians Act of 2016 (R.A. 10868).

“In the ongoing 17th Congress, Sen. Binay co-sponsored the Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2017 (SB No. 1305) which grants 120-day maternity leave to female workers regardless of civil status; as well as The Filipino Sign Language Act (SB No. 1455), which declares the Filipino Sign Language as the National Sign Language of the Filipino Deaf and the Official Sign Language of the Government in All Transactions with the Deaf.

“Other measures that Sen. Binay championed are the Expanded NIPAS Act of 2017 (SB No. 1444); the First 1000 Days of Life Bill (SB 1145); and the amendment to the Local Government Act providing for permanent positions to tourism officers (SB 1565).”

Oblivious to The Sunday Times Magazine’s ready research on hand, Binay expressed nonetheless, “When I talk to people, I’m really not the type to trumpet what I’ve achieved [as legislator in my first six years]— alam mo na, yung magbida sa mga nagawa ko? Kasi for me, trabaho namin ‘yun eh, so we shouldn’t brag [about our accomplishments] because it’s part of our work and what we’re expected to do. So when I go out there, like on this campaign, tulong pa rin is top of mind while I ask for their support.”

What Binay likes to talk about these days is how to empower those like her who experience social media bullying, especially since the senator is well aware of the psychological effects this negative phenomenon alarmingly has on the young.

During this meeting with Lifestyle and Entertainment media, in fact, she walked the talk and brought copies of her very timely book titled “Make Love Not War.” Unknown to many, the very millennial paperback published by ABS-CBN is actually a co-authorship between Binay and incognito social media personality “Senyora Santibañez”—the senator’s most rabid basher on the Internet.

Binay engaged her in the book [though never personally meeting still] not with the intent of putting the widely followed Senyora in her place, but rather to help victims of cruel posts like herself. As the senator wrote in the foreword, “You need this book to arm you with the basics of surviving in social media. Senyora and I collaborated to help you save your sanity and credibility in dealing with social media bashing. You can have it my way (cool and calm) or Senyora’s way (tough love with care). This time, we’re BFFs promoting love and not war.”

Elaborating on her advocacy, Binay continued, “In the book, I talk about how I can’t control what people post and say about me, and share with readers that what I can control is how to react to them and take them.

“In other words, talagang hindi ko mapipigilan yung bashing pero yung how to deal with it, that’s where I can help, kasi ‘di ba yung iba, konting bash lang nagkakaroon na ng depression? They feel as if it’s the end of the world but what I tell them is that there’s a world outside social media that’s more important and meaningful.

So the book gives 10 basic online rules which I hope will ultimately help netizens realize that our

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A YouTube screen grab of ‘Uling,’ Binay’s brillant campaign ad where she ingeniously uses the imagery of burning charcoal — often compared to her skin tone — to dramatically express her very interntion for the Filipino people.

A quick search on the net will actually unleash more flattering photos of Binay beside and Miss Universe Catriona Gray (left photo), but bashers will always look for that lone and ‘lucky’ snapshot to draw the most laughs among their followers (right)—and the senator agrees, ‘Nakakatawa naman talaga eh!’

At the launch of her book, ‘Make Love Not War,’ which provides the senator’s personal tips on how to deal social bashers; a sequel is soon to follow in time for Binay’s 46th birthday, titled ‘Charcoal Confessions.’

The ‘Hot Air Balloon’ in 2014 that started the memes and the ‘Nancy Binay fashion watch,’ SONA after SONA.

A mom of four, here her youngest twins, Binay agrees it is important to teach the next generation it is essentially wrong to poke fun at the color of a person’s skin and physical attributes.

worth is not based on the number of likes on our pages and posts.”

Prodded by The Sunday Times Magazine if on the flipside, she still believes, if not hope, that Filipinos will one day realize it is essentially wrong to talk about the color of one’s skin, or be quick to laugh and make fun of appearances, Binay avoided getting preachy and instead determinedly albeit simply r e p l i e d , “A s a m o m [ s h e h a s

dia through Make Love, Not War, interviews like this and lately on her sorties, Binay revealed there’s more from where it came from.

“I’m coming out with another book nearer my 46th birthday which is the day before the elections in May. Like my age by then, it will be 46 additional tips still on the topic of surviving social media and ang title niya, ‘Charcoal Confessions’,” the senator smiled.

“Hopefully it’ll be done in time

four children with husband Jose Benjamin Angeles] first and foremost, dapat maituro yan sa next generation. And if I am given the opportunity to return to the Senate, maybe we can also find more c o n c r e t e ways o f t e a c h i n g t h e young, and more importantly to encourage them to refrain from social media bullying.”

Happy for the moment to be able to give her advice on dealing with the worsening effects of social me-

kaya sabi ko pa -birthday ko na rin yung book sa mga tao, win or lose.

Pero sana rin, pa -birthday gift na lang nila sa akin yung boto nila,” she added laughing.

And in rounding up the interview in a perfect but ever unaffected way, the empowered woman and netizen that is Nancy Binay finally requested in all good humor, “Sana hindi nila kalimutan na maitim tayo, para ganun din ka-itim ang pag-shade natin sa number ng balota.”

Fun Times The Sunday Times

F6

»horoscope

THE SUNDAY CROSSWORD

This Bud’s For You

By Merl Reagle March 10, 2019

...Another bloomin’ puzzle

This puzzle is part of Merl's best-of series 1 4 7 14 18 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 36 39 40 41 42 43 45 46 49 50 57 59 60 61 62 66 69 70 72 73 74 77 79 80 81 86 91 92 93 94 95 98 99 100

ACROSS Pisa possessive Physicist or electrical unit Playing field Long-running show?

Invited a lady to the Flower Ball?

Daughter of Minos Peaches and pecans What people with Flower Power exhibit?

Shore birds Flower part Poi need Day of the wk.

Seascape dramatist What the FTD Sweepstakes offers?

Dough mach.

Not tied down Stuff your face Horton’s responsibility Convenience-store buy Calm down, in the ’hood Fleischer-cartoon femme Giraffe relatives Much-heralded Morrison Flowery adventure film?

Flowery courtroom remark?

Sacred snake All over again Cable With 74 Across, parent’s flowery warning about comic books?

Bristol bottleful “___-hoo!”

Type of memoir Fuel finish Jackson and Hopkins See 62 Across Big name in basketball So Big author’s first name Ralph’s pal et al.

What a Southern flower-grower can hardly do nowadays?

Flower-shop come-on?

Lotion base Around Dissatisfied reaction Ex-Canadian P.M. Mulroney Clothes buying concern Palindromic drink Name or alphabet chunk Power ___

103 Satisfied reactions 104 Ibsen’s most florid play?

110 They may be Broadway-bound 111 Australian bounder 112 Burns or RLS 113 Gold fabric 117 Trojan War suicide 118 Response to someone who sent you flowers?

123 Curtain material 124 Still waters do it 125 Parachuting florist’s cry as he leaves the plane?

126 Aphrodite’s kid 127 Scorpio’s brightest star 128 Small amount 129 Joes who got the Bill?

DOWN 1 Dallas players, briefly 2 “What ___ now?”

3 Winnebago nation member, once 4 Dig this 5 More intense 6 Change your genes 7 Kirk, to Michael 8 Steaming state 9 “___ the truth” 10 ___ Picchu 11 Loathsomeness 12 Tulsa to K.C. 13 Start of a state capital 14 Period of time 15 Passive restraint 16 Taxonomic groups 17 Size up 19 Fiery saint 20 ___ Haute 24 In first place, in brief 29 Pain-related suffix 31 It has a big game in Feb. 32 Philippine gulf of WWII fame 33 Composer Schifrin 34 Like Townshend’s Tommy 35 KGB predecessor 36 Play start 37 God with iron gloves 38 Very small 44 Daffy’s impediment 45 Green-lights 46 “By the way ...”

47 Held 48 See 77 Across 50 “How’s ___?”

Gift givers! For info on Merl’s books, visit www.sundaycrosswords.com.

1

2

3

18

4

5

6

19

7 20

23

37

38

43

12

13

14

32

39

40

51

34

46

52

74

70

63

71

88

81

89

97

78

82

83

90

98

117

84

85

91

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Your team comes to the rescue. Go for distance, not speed. Leap forward with help from friends. Avoid controversy or jealousies. Energize a group effort.

94

99

110

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) -- Today is an 8 -Dream up an inspiring future, and list the steps to take to realize it. Consider things from a higher perspective.

Perform acts of kindness.

73

93

105

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Invest in your career. Avoid gossip or rumors. Costs may be higher than expected. Don’t spend recklessly. Get what you need to get the job done.

56

65

77

92 96

64

72

80 87

55

60

76

79

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Push for a lucrative opportunity. A profitable dream is within reach. Share your vision, and enlist support from friends.

Resist the urge to splurge.

48 54

62

75

86

47

59

69

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

42

53

61 68

17

35

41

58

67

16

29

33

45 50

15

22

28

44

57

104

11

25

31

49

95

10

21

27 30

66

9

24

26

36

8

100 101 102

103

106 107

108

109

111

112

113 114 115 116

118 119

123

124

126

127

51 Burt or Hurt, e.g.

52 Cleveland player, briefly 53 Himalayan goat (anagram of HART) 54 Cold shoulder 55 “Farm, E” follow-up 56 Piercing tools 58 Clinic name 62 Bit 63 Alexander and Addams 64 ___ a time (individually) 65 A tide 66 Zone 67 Poland’s second largest city 68 Ante up?

70 ___ bat an eye 71 The Brookings, e.g.: abbr.

75 Lock giant 76 Hurtful 77 Prefix meaning 41 Across

78 Literary king or literary Edward 81 Anchor’s transition 82 Mt. St. Helens spew 83 Pastiche 84 First zookeeper 85 Desires 87 Convention-center shows 88 Weigh ___ 89 Ann or May 90 Baby or Babe 94 OPEC units 95 Femme ___ 96 How to “carry moonbeams home” 97 Gas station brand 99 Furnace worker 100 First name of 4 Across 101 Hit in a heist 102 Wingless crawlies 105 Trail, cake, and daiquiri 106 Praying figure 107 Bridget of A Simple Plan

120 121

122 125 128

108 109 114 115 116 118

119 Horde member 120 Visualize 121 FDR had three of them 122 Capture

SUDOKU

Solution: ‘In A Perfect World’ (Mar 3) R A F T S A B OW L F OR E I A D J A C K E E T H E R T HOR S S E C S A NO C MA L A I A S T S U T T E K N E A D Y S E R L A C E R A F L E B E A R S HO B L OOD R A I N OG L E

H A RD I F E E GN A F F E E R L T S F A S A R T K T I E R I T A I T Y R E S E S T E R S H R OP I E L E C VO L I N F T F T S R L A F I E MOX T H T Y C AGE H Y E R

C L A U D I A S A I N T P E L I S S E

B L U K E E S E L L A E R NC T E D R I V L A I N MS E P L I E T O

RNO T I I ON I D P S T AMA S OD E J UDDH SOR E E E Y D A T L T GO VO L A T E PO T H SOO T H E NO T A T CCH A H OU S A R C E S T O A CH A N S E A L E S A N K A I T T I NG GE E T U N S R AM

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- All isn’t as it appears. A professional test or challenge has your focus.

Another revenue source deserves investigation. Stick to practical objectives. Patiently observe.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Classes and research satisfy a curiosity or urge

129

Before, in combos Flair Make ___ of oneself Surfers’ mecca Slippery trees La intro

Today’s Birthday (03/10/19). Professional projects flower this year. Together with friends, you can work miracles. A hot summer romance leads to shifting team perspectives. Your community wins this winter, before a creative or romantic change reveals new options. Connect with people who share your passion.

L L E A I D C R E A T E

H E S T E R

E A G L E S

S P O I L S

H A I S P S

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

to explore. Travel with someone who sparks your creativity. An interesting suggestion leads to surprising developments. Keep an open mind.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Practical attention to detail saves money. Work with a partner for a shared financial goal. Discover an error, and celebrate.

Handle a tense situation gracefully.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- A collaborative project takes wing. Follow a shared passion.

You and a partner can accomplish more together than solo.

Coordinate your activities and response.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Physical efforts can realize a dream. Balance a busy schedule with rest and peace. Slow to avoid accidents.

Moderate the pace to save energy.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Relax and have fun with someone attractive. Moderation serves you well. Keep an ear for hidden elements. Tap into the heart of the matter.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Take care of practical domestic matters. Conserve resources at home. Make household repairs and upgrades to keep systems flowing smoothly. Coordinate changes with family.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) -- Today is an 8 -- What you’re learning has huge implications. Dive into your research, and note discoveries. Edit and refine your reports and posts. Share the highlights.

(Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Black’s legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @lindablack. For more astrological interpretations visit Linda Black Horoscopes and www.nancyblack.com) NANCY BLACK. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

By ROGER SEVILLA Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 square contains the digits 1 to 9 with no repeats.

Solution from yesterday’s puzzle.

Arts Awake The Sunday Times

SUNDAY March 10, 2019

F7

CCP presents literature festival Three-day event features poetry readings, literature classes, art talks and more

V

ARIOUS venues of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) are expected to be full when “Performatura: Performance Literature Festival” is held on April 5 to 7.

Free and open to the public, the three-day event features performances, poetry readings, literature classes, art talks, chanters from the regions, slam poetry contest, film screenings, book fair, art exhibit, and interviews with renowned writers.

True to its mission of bringing the country’s diverse traditions for the common Filipino to experience, entrance to the festival is practically free. However, every-

one is encouraged to donate a book that serves as admission ticket — one book is equal to a whole day admission. Collected books are then donated in turn to CCP’s partner libraries.

Performatura 2019 is the CCP’s way of highlighting the rich tapestry of Philippine artistic traditions that leap beyond the written word while welcoming writers and performers from diverse communities of the country in celebration of the intersections of the written word and performance.

Performatura is a mash up of the word performance and orature or oral literature, whereas orature is a term coined by Ugandan linguist Pio Zirimu

who wanted to raise oral literature to the level of written literature.

Festival director is poet and performer Vim Nadera Jr.

Last Line, Lasting Lines Performatura is a mash up of the words performance and orature or oral literature

»nccaupdate

The theme “Ang Mamatay Nang Dahil Sa

Performatura 2019 is CCP’s way of highlighting the rich tapestry of Philippine artistic traditions that leap beyond the written word.

Iyo” is an attempt to tackle the issue of changing the last line of Philippine National Anthem through literature and performances.

The theme also alludes to issues that are relevant and being discussed in our society today.

The first day of the festival is dedicated to literature in general and spoken word performances. Slam poets have a battle of words in the first ever Performatura Slam Poetry Contest; Resil Mojares is to have one of his first interviews after receiving the National Artist for Literature Award last year; Dumagats from Mauban,

Quezon Province are going to stage the epic of Gat Uban; the official website of Huseng Batute, the first King of Balagtasan is to be launched witnessed by the audience; and the literary group Kuwit of the Philippine High School for the Arts are to lead a set of literary performances such as storytelling for children.

KomiCoching and Tiempoets The second day is in honor of National Artist for Visual Arts and Dean of Illustrators Francisco Coching.

As part of the first segment called

CCP Café, the family is to give an intimate portrait of Coching as father, uncle and lolo.

Amassing more than five million views on Facebook in their radio broadcast, Eastern Samar National Comprehensive High School students are going to read “Lapu-Lapu,” one of Coching works, in a dramatic fashion in front of a live audience. Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books Book Club then lead a book discussion about Coching’s El Indio, followed by literary performances by women spoken word artists, led by spoken word group, Tadhana.

Coching is given tribute by noted komiks artists such as Randy Valiente through workshop, talks and art activities. There is also the ongoing Coching Birth Centennial Exhibit titled “Nasaan ka na, Mara-bini?” curated by Alice Sarmiento for visitors to enjoy.

The last day of the festival is in honor of the National Artist for Literature Edith Tiempo in commemoration of her birth centennial.

Fictionists and poets influenced by Tiempo are going to do tribute performance to their beloved mentor through poetry reading and talks. Dumaguete’s Kahayag Dance Company is to perform Tiempo’s “Bonsai.” Also to be launched is an interactive centennial exhibit featuring Tiempo’s life and works, curated

by Prof. DM Reyes and Gwen Bautista.

Performing and facilitating a workshop are literature experts Chris Mooney of Singapore and Azam Rais of Malaysia.

The three-day Aklatan All Filipino Book Fair is a collaboration between CCP and the Book Development Association of the Philippines.

Jodi Sta. Maria film screens at FEU THE makers of Jodi Sta. Maria’s horror film “Second Coming” served as guest speakers in an alternative class organized by the Far Easter University (FEU) Film Society and Reality Entertainment.

Held in line with the celebration of FEU’s 91st Foundation Week, FilmSoc alumnus director Jet Leyco led his team for the event. Joining the campus tour were Miss World Philippines 2012 and actress Queenie Rehman, assistant director Kenneth Mandrilla, director of photography Malay Javier and Rommel Ruiz, another member of the camera department and Leyco’s fellow FilmSoc alumnus, with Kyle Macorol as host.

The movie stars Jodi Sta. Maria as the stepmother, with Marvin Agustin

as the young father and Angelica Ulip as the possessed daughter. Leyco presents the film as his take on the recurring “mistress” cliché tackled in other genres. Bing Loyzaga, John Arcilla and Rehman, who plays Ulip’s mother Raquel, co-star in the film.

Leyco, who also helmed “Bukas Na Lang Sapagkat Gabi Na” for Cinema One Originals 2013 and “Matangtubig” for QCinema 2015, explained that it is not about revolutionizing the genre to make an effective horror film, but rather about making small twists to the standards of the genre.

“It is about less jump scares, more on setting the mood and evoking the scary feeling instead of showing it,” he said.

Rehman said she found the produc-

(From left) Director Jet Leyco, actress Queenie Rehman, assistant director Kenneth Mandrilla, cinematographer Malay Javier and Rommel Ruiz.

tion of the film a complete turnaround from her pageant days. She said that she was always conscious on making herself beautiful back then but in the film, she is covered with lots of make-up to the point that she is already unrecognizable.

She also talked about the difference between shooting a film and taping for a television show, which lies in the small intricacies and shots that must be achieved, unlike in TV where editing does most of the job.

Mandrilla, who is also an FEU alumnus and part of the FEU Theater Guild, emphasized the importance of knowing the director’s vision and overall plan for the film, something he did not really have a hard time doing since this was not his first time working with Leyco.

However, despite this familiarity, he still considers his work as assistant director a learning experience.

The FEU Film Society is the university’s premiere student organization dedicated in promoting film literacy and filmmaking and imparting knowledge to others. It is behind Sinepiyu, an annual film festival where films from inside and outside the university compete and find a venue; FEUlikulahan, a film screening event organized with the FEU President’s Committee on Culture; and Piyu I Love You, a competition among its members. Advocacy filmmaker and FEU Department of Communication special lecturer Seymour Sanchez currently serves as its adviser.

YOUTH CHOIR LIBERA PERFORMS FOR THE PH AUDIENCE Known for their angelic voices, youth choir Libera made their way back to the Philippines for the sixth time in late February. Serenading their Filipino fans at the Meralco Theater and the Pacific Grand Ballroom of the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu, the 27-member all-male choral group promised a highly impressive show and delivered. Libera told Philippine media they appreciate the audience here for being so connected with thei r per forma nc e s. Be sides singing thei r icon ic choir songs, a hear twarming rendition song “Bayan Ko,” fur ther endeared the group to the Ph i l ippi ne s . show their appreciation for the cou ntr y.

NIKA ROQUE

Ryan Cayabyab, now a National Artist for Music, returns to 'Art 2 Art' for another interview with host Lisa Macuja.

‘Art 2 Art’ marks 12th anniversary WHEN “Art 2 Art” started airing on radio via the AM station DZRH in March 2007, it featured Ryan Cayabyab as its first guest.

A prolific composer/musician and an educator, he was the ideal choice with whom host Lisa Macuja could discuss how to nurture one’s career in the arts and also pass on one’s k nowledge to a new generation of artists.

Macuja described Cayabyab as an ideal “buena mano” (first offering) as that initial episode would lead to hundreds more, featuring a r t i st s f r om ac r o s s d i s c ipl i ne s — music, literature, visual arts, film, theater, dance, architecture, photography, design and more. It would also pave the way for the art advocacy program to reap honors such as the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) and the Golden Dove Awards.

This year, as Art 2 Art celebrates its 12th anniversary, it once again features Ryan Cayabyab in its episode airing today. Now a National Artist for Music, having been given the award in October 2018, the Maestro updates Lisa, particularly on projects he would still like to pursue in the areas of music education and promotion. “ I c a n’t b e l i e v e t h a t w e’v e reached our 12th year, and we are just so grateful to all the artists,

Lisa Macuja first welcomed musician/composer Ryan Cayabyab and National Artist for Film Eddie Romero in 2007.

starting with Ryan, who have given their time and shared their experiences with us. We started Art 2 Art precisely to give Filipino artists a voice through our conversations with them, and also to present to the public positive role models,” Macuja enthused of her program which is now also aired on cable television aside from radio.

Produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company, Art 2 Art airs every Sunday, 3:30 to 4 p.m., on radio via DZRH (666 khz on the AM band), on cable television via RHT V (Ch. 129 on Skycable i n Metro Manila, Ch. 18 on Cignal TV and Ch. 3 on Cablelink) and livestreaming at http://dzrhnews television.tv.

Arts Awake The Sunday Times

F8

March 10, 2019 SUNDAY

TA I WA N ’S C H I M E I M U S E U M

A destination for all classes

T

AINAN, TAIWAN: If someone, especially from Asia, would like to see some of the most famous works of art through the ages — those of Auguste Rodin, Pietro Calvi, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, just to name a few — they would have to fly all the way to Europe.

That is until successful plastics businessman Shi Wen-long had the bright and nobel idea of purchasing an impressive collection to exhibit in his native Tainan, now noted as the Chimei Museum and named after his multi-million dollar company.

He knew farmers and other financially challenged residents of his hometown — a province located almost 311 kilometers south of Taipei, Taiwan — would have little to no chance of seeing these sophisticated works. Residents of Tainan can access the museum for free while non-residents have to pay NT$200 or around P388.

Visitors of the 9.5-hectare museum would instantly feel the vibe of Palace of Versailles in France what with the marble reproduction of Bassin d’Apollo by French artist Gills Perrault welcoming them.

Behind the imposing work is the Olympus Bridge where statues of 12 Greek gods and goddesses stand end-to-end.

The Chimei Museum exhibits around 4,000 of Western artworks, fossils, wild animal taxidermy, arms and armor, and musical instruments inside its 150-meter wide marble-made main building. Boasting Western, the museum further houses 8,000 pieces in storage.

“Shi Wen-long gathered some of the remarkable artworks and relics in the world based on his personal taste so that he can establish a museum that would be enjoyed by people coming from all social classes,” Patricia Liao, Chimei Museum Foundation’s deputy director shared.

The self-made billionaire who currently has a net worth of $1.7 billion or P88,468,000,000 was not born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth.

Instead, he grew up with a poor family with nine other siblings during the wartime. Shi’s only way to escape from his grim reality is to visit a small local museum in Tainan.

animals to dinosaur fossils. Shi also displayed interest in animals so he also collected some for the museum, according to Liao.

Included in the natural history section is the Indochinese Clouded Leopard, which is believed to be extinct in Taiwan because of the loss of habitat and hunting. The last time an Indochinese clouded Leopard was recorded at Taroko Gorge in 1989.

As for the Arms and Armor Hall, a wide collection of weapons and armors used by Germans, British, Japanese, and Indians centuries ago during the war is put on the spot.

Since then, Shi believed that art should not be just confined among the elites but also for the masses who have passion for art.

Artwork diversity The museum is divided into four sections: fine arts, musical instruments, natural history, and arms and armor.

The Fine Arts Hall is filled notable reproduction of Western paintings and sculptures like Pietro Calvi’s “Othello,” Thomas Cooper Gotch’s “The Message,” and Rodin’s “The Kiss” and “The Thinker”.

Unlike in most places where it was

A recreation of Bassin d'Apollo welcome guests at Chimei Museum.

Largest violin collection

displayed in an open space, “The Thinker” was put inside the main building in Rodin’s exhibit gallery.

Rodin first conceptualized the sculpture as part of his work called “The Gates of Hell” in 1880 so viewing “The

Finally, the Musical Instruments Hall houses one of the largest violin collection in the world.

The musical instruments section is currently the home of the violins once owned by the well-known violinist clans such as the Guarneri family, Amati family, and Stradivari family.

The violins of Bartolomeo Cristofori, Nicolo Gagliano, Gasparo Bertolotti da Salò’, and Giovanni Paolo Maggini are also on display.

Moreover, visitors of the hall are also welcomed by an enthralling walk-in orchestra playing various classical pieces like “Má vlast” by Bedrich Smetana.

The section also has folk instruments and mechanical instruments from Italy, Switzerland, and the US. Shi, a lover of music and passionate violinist, made sure that the section could also nurture the musical talents of Tainan residents so he made sure there would be 200 violins the museum can lend could to indigent students and musicians.

“The instruments like violins are offered for young talents in Tainan for free. The owner doesn’t want money to be a factor in pursuing the passion of young people here so it is available for them to use to practice their craft,” Liao finally noted.

Chimei Museum is located at 66, Section 2, Wenhua Road, Rende District, Tainan City, Taiwan. It is open from Tuesday to Thursday from, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The 'O-Yoroi' armor from the Arms and Armor Hall.

A recreation of Auguste Rodin's 'The Thinker.'

Thinker” from the second floor of the museum would make it look like it is indeed in hell.

Meanwhile, the Natural History hall is filled with animal taxidermy ranging from indigenous and safari

Musical Instruments Hall houses one of the largest violin collections in the world.

Animal taxidermy of safari animals at the Natural History hall.

Painting difficult art in ‘Kulay Sa Tubig’ AN impressive array of works in aquarelle by artists from various backgrounds and different stages in aesthetic development will be on view at The Globe Art Gallery in Bonifacio Global City beginning March 14.

Collectively dubbed the 31st edition of Kulay sa Tubig Invitational Watercolor Competition and Exhibition, the exhibit is akin to a homecoming of sorts, what with the inclusion of artists who have achieved considerable acclaim in other media.

Artists both emerging and illustrious in their fields have decided to participate and sustain a platform regarded by many as the ground zero of their art world journey.

T h i s y e a r’s p a r t i c i p a n t s i n c l u d e : Ray mu ndo Ador 3rd, A nton io A lcoseba, Aizza Joy, Vic Bachoco, Mailah Baldemor Balde, Warlie ‘Lito’ Brion Ballaran, Ryan Barral, Melquiades Cabriana, Wilfredo Calderon, Rene Canlas, Rodelio Cerda, Jomarie Chua, Kim Pamela Co, Salvador Convocar, Anna De Leon-Marcelo, Roger Deang, Robert Deniega, Danny Doce, Dario Encinas,

Eileen Bondoc Escueta, Achilles Estremos, A ngel ito F lorendo, Dion Edw i n Francisco, Fred Galan, Alfred Galura, Joel Hubahib, Gieward Hulagno, Paolo Amorsolo Jacob, Bonnie Jimenez, Gerry Jocquico Jr., Jarseon Arsenio Lacson, Alpha Larracas, Margarita Lim, Dan Ezekiel Macapugay, Erwin Mallari, Manuel Manalang, Je An Marquesto, Nik Masangcay, Melver Mercado, Gilbert Miraflor, Christian Mirang, Rocelo Montesclaros, Alfredo Morales Jr., and Jose Angelo Navarro.

Completing the list are: Victor Ng, Melbourne Paano, Joie Pabilando, Julian Eymard Paguiligan, Dino Dante Pajao, Dante Palmes, Sam Penaso, Rommel Perez, Virgilio Pomida Jr., Lester Rodriguez, Warlen Warlie Rodriguez, Erwin Sabio, Noel Sadicon, Eman Santos, Pablo Baen Santos, Aner Sebastian, Emmanuel ‘Emman’ Silva, Karen Michele Sioson, Eduardo Solana Jr., Peter Sutcliffe, Crispin Tuazon, Iris Uy, Emmanuel Vailoces, Franklin Caña Valencia, John Carlo Vargas, Melissa Villaseñor, Inna Naanep Vitasa, Shui Loong Wong.

A unique ‘competition’ After establishing Gallery Genesis in 1981, noted and well-respected art collector Araceli “Ch ich i” Sa las fou nded Ku lay Sa Tu bi g Invitational Watercolor Competition and Exhibition. Salas felt that watercolors are under appreciated as a medium of visual art when, in fact, it is the most difficult medium to handle and to master.

For about 30 years, there has been a Kulay Sa Tubig competition where only the best watercolorists are invited to participate with a mandatory pre-screening requirement. It has become one of the better-known art competitions among the artists and various artist groups in the country.

Upon r each i n g 70 yea r s old a few years ago, Salas went into a self-imposed retirement but decided to continue mounting the Kulay Sa Tubig show and staying tr ue to her mission of providing a venue for the most skilled of the established and new artists.